Fighter's Heart
by lilwhodat
Summary: Juggling becoming a daughter, a friend, and a guardian, Scarlett Gambino's life is forever changed. *Includes all Disney, magic, and F&F related things I own nothing*
1. Chapter 1

At the age of Sixteen, Scarlett Gambino has already experienced and seen more than her fair share of evil in the world, more than a person should see in a lifetime. After dealing with her mom's untimely death, Scarlett's been through more foster families in one year, then most kids go through in five. Although small in stature, her tough exterior, quick temper, and foul mouth earned the brunette a bombshell reputation. Competing and winning the majority of the street fights she enters, Scarlett's impressive skill in hand-to-hand combat proves she can compete against some of the toughest males on the East Coast.

Waiting in traffic was not something Scarlett enjoyed. The fact she was attending a new school and it was raining only added to the misery she currently felt.

"Relax baby girl. It's going to be fine." The six foot, all muscle, street racer assured his daughter. "Don't forget to be nice to the other kids and respectful of your teachers." Dom adds for good measure, sending her a stern glare.

Rolling her eyes in response, Scarlett stares out the window at the line of cars back up for a good quarter mile. "Whatever. If they ask for it, I'll gladly kick their ass." She replies in her husky voice, ignoring Dom's words.

"C'mon Red we've been over this. No more fights. If I get word of any trouble at your school I'm going to have a serious talk with Mia and there will be serious repercussions." Dom threatens, knowing she'd probably disobey anyways.

"Psh whatever. I'm just saying I may not start the fight, but I will finish it." Scarlett replies in a serious tone, giving her father her infamous, 'I'm not bullshitting' look.

"Please baby girl. One semester. No fights. That's all I'm asking." Dom asks in a defeated tone.

"Fine. One semester. But I'm not kidding if someone screws with me I'll kick their ass." The brunette threatens, not bothering to hide her annoyed tone.

The rest of the drive is in stillness, the radio the only thing keeping the silence from being eerie. Finally they arrive at the school. It's a large building with a track and football field visible from behind the main building.

"Here we are. North County High School." Dom says, putting the car in park in front of the school. "Have a good day baby. And please don't give the teachers too hard of a time."

"I'll try." Scarlett replies, grabbing her book bag and exiting the car.

Inside the building the students are all bustling about. The floors slick from the rain, make everyone's shoes squeak, which echoes in the halls. Walking towards the main office, the street fighter prepares herself for another 'first day of school'.

"Hello Miss, what can I help you with?" A receptionist with a thick southern accent and a pink sweeter asks.

"Hey I'm new. I was told to just check in." Scarlett replies, handing the woman her paperwork.

"Ok. I'll assign you a student guide to show you around the school. Since we're already two months in most of the classes, I can have some of our student council give you their notes and homework to catch you up." The receptionist says, handing the tanned girl her school map, class schedule, and locker combination. "Just wait outside this office and I'll have one of the students show you around. It's first period announcements in the auditorium but you can skip it today, as well as your first period class." The lady continues, motioning towards the large double doors off the main foyer that read 'Auditorium'.

"Thanks." The fighter replies, taking the handed items and walking towards the staircase. Looking through the paperwork, Scarlett finds her class schedule and starts reading it over.

"Hi, are you Scarlett Gambino?" A female voice asks.

Looking up, Scarlett comes face to face with a girl her same age. Dark blonde/brown hair, blue eyes, olive skin, and a bright smile on her face, the girl was the epitome of why Scarlett hated schools. Wearing regular blue jeans, brown ankle boats, and a brown sweater, she wore little to no make-up and her hair was kept out of her face by a blue silk headband.

"Yeah that's me. Who are you?" Scarlett asks, a little surprised by how normal the girl looks.

"I'm Esther Swann, your student tour guide."

"Ok. Where do we start?"

"Where's your locker?"

"I have no idea."

"What does your slip of paper say?"

Looking down, Scarlett reads off the words printed in bold, "Hall one, locker number fifteen."

"That's down this first hall to the right. It's also right next to my locker. I'm locker sixteen." Esther says cheerfully, motioning for the brunette to follow her as she leads her to the lockers.

"Cool. Know anyone else in the vicinity?" Scarlett asks in an interested tone, genuinely curious.

"Three of my friends, my brother, and his two friends are the closest. Then there are some other kids I don't really know." Esther replies, motioning towards the locker reading '15'.

"Thanks." Scarlett mutters, doing her locker combination and opening the tall skinny locker. Placing her bag inside, Scarlett also places in some of the papers handed to her from the office. "Where to next?" the brunette asks, slamming her locker shut and making sure it's secure.

"I can show you the gym. We have the same gym class." The blonde offers, leading her down the main hall the stretches towards the back of the school.

"How do you know we share the same gym class?" the dark-eyed girl asks, paranoia taking over.

"Mrs. Lynch gave me a copy of your schedule to compare to mine. It's the reason why I'm your student guide. We have pretty much the same classes." Esther replies, not acknowledging the New Yorker's sudden change in demeanor. Nodding in response, Scarlett relaxes a little more.

During the entire tour of the school, Esther and Scarlett talked. Esther explaining and telling various stories, and activities at the school, and asking Scarlett questions about family, life before North County. At the end of their tour the two end up at their second period class: Anatomy and Physiology.

"I'll introduce you to my friends. They're in a lot of my classes too, which means you'll see them a lot." Esther says, walking inside the large classroom towards the back where a group of teens are talking. "Hey guys! This is Scarlett, she's new here." Esther introduces, silencing the group. "Scarlett this is Chloe, Katy, Audrey, my brother Oliver, Tyler, and Tim." Esther introduces the group, pointing to each person.

"Hi. How are you liking school so far?" the girl with dark brown hair and a pixie cut asks in a friendly voice.

"It's ok so far." Scarlett replies in a friendly tone, smiling back at the group.

"Where did you go to school before here?" the girl with tan skin and long black hair asks.

"A public school in Chicago." Scarlett replies, remembering the pixie hair girl as Audrey, and the long black hair girl as Katy.

"You're from Chicago?" The tall girl with long curly brown hair asks.

"No I just lived there." Scarlett answers, deducing her to be Chloe, since she knew the other three girls' names.

"Where are you from?" Esther's brother, Oliver asks.

"New York City." Scarlett answers, a sudden edge in her tone.

"That's awesome! I love New York." Audrey says in a giddy tone.

"It is an awesome city." Scarlett replies, smiling at the blue-eyed girl.

"Ok guys take a seat and let's begin." The teacher announces.

"Doctor Oglive, we have a new student." Esther says, walking towards the front of the class with Scarlett in tow.

"Yeah the office said something about that. You transferred from Collins High School?" The teacher asks.

"Yup." Scarlett replies simply.

"Ok. I'll have Esther catch you up, until then just share a book with her and we'll find you a lab partner." Doctor Chris Oglive responds, writing something on a piece of paper and stinking it in a folder.

"Thanks." The street racer responds with a small smile, walking back to the empty seat by Chloe.

The rest of the day went by smooth. Scarlett ate lunch with Esther and her friends, and played dodge ball in the gym, successfully hitting out the most obnoxious player, Audrey's younger brother. By the end of the day, the street kid had received an invitation to join Katy and the rest of the girl's at Katy's house for an afternoon snack and study session.

"So your dad's a judge?" Scarlett asks curiously towards Chloe, watching the 5'8 girl nod in response.

"Yeah he's a JAG in the Air Force. What does your dad do?"

"He's a mechanic. He owns his own company and everything." Scarlett replies, looking out the window of the bus.

"That's cool. So you know all about fixing cars?" Chloe asks, genuinely interested.

"Yeah. I'm fixing up a '76 Corvette." Scarlett replies, happy these girls aren't judging her.

"That's so cool. Did you know Corvette copied off Ferrari?" Audrey announces, earning a few snickers from the group of girls.

"Yes, Audrey we know! You tell us all the time." Katy laughs in response, earning a chorus of laughter from the remaining two girls, even Scarlett chuckled lightly.

"Well just wanted to let you know." Audrey replies, not at all offended by Katy's words.

At one of the bus stops, Katy leads the girls off the bus and walking down a few streets to her house.

"Home sweet home." The dark brown-eyed girl announces, motioning towards the large red brick home at the end of the street.

"Wow, nice crib." Scarlett whistles in an impressed tone.

"Thanks." Katy says modestly, opening the garage door to lead the girls inside.

"Hey girls, how was school?" A blonde woman asks the group of girls, not at all surprised to find the three extra mouths to feed. Turning to face the girls from her desk in front of the computer, she reveals initial shock to find a fifth girl. "Hi. Who are you?"

"I'm Scarlett. You must be Mrs. Woodson." Scarlett introduces herself politely, trying hard to not come off too rough.

"You can call me Miss Denise if you'd like. These girls do." The blonde woman offers. "I've got snacks already made. I've got to go, I have a late appointment today but I'll be home for dinner. Make yourselves at home." Mrs. Woodson says before grabbing her purse and heading to the garage.

"My mom's a dentist." Katy says, answering Scarlett's unasked question. "She works later shifts for kids and adults who have work and school."

"That's cool." Scarlett replies, hesitantly dropping her worn out backpack on the ground by her feet.

"My grandma should be home. She lives with us." Katy says, walking towards what Scarlett assumed to be the basement door to call for her grandmother.

"Hello girls." An elderly woman with short white curly hair and large glasses says, coming up from the stairs at Katy's calling.

"Hey Mrs. Woodson." Audrey, Esther, and Chloe greet in unison.

"Who's your new friend?" The senior Mrs. Woodson asks her granddaughter.

"Grandma this is Scarlett. Scarlett this is my Grandma." Katy introduces the two, letting them shake hands.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sweetie. Are you girls hungry? I made some extra fudge I'm taking to bingo tonight." Marlene Woodson says, walking towards the counter and unwrapping a pan of fresh fudge.

"Sure I'd love some." Audrey says, taking off her coat and throwing it over a bar chair.

"Me too please." Chloe says, kicking off her shoes near the stairway going upstairs.

"Me three please." Esther says, dropping her bag near Scarlett's bag and waiting behind Audrey and Chloe.

"What about you Scarlett?" Grandma Woodson asks.

"I'll take a little." Scarlett says, smiling at the elderly woman and sitting down at the table, unsure what to do next.

Joining her at the table, Esther and Chloe sit on either side of the unsure brunette.

"This fudge is really good. Thanks so much Miss M." Audrey praises, mouth full of fudge, sitting down across from Scarlett.

"Glad you enjoy it dear. How about I tell you girls a story?" The elderly woman says more in a statement more than a question, her Mid-Western accent evident in her voice.

"Grandma I really don't think they want to ear a story." Katy begins; a little unsure which story her grandmother was referring to.

"Hush sweetie. Sit down." Marlene Woodson quiets her granddaughter sternly, pulling out a seat next to Audrey for her to sit in. "Have you girls heard of the nine realms?" Marlene asks, looking at the five confused girls.

"Isn't that Norse mythology?" Esther asks, having study some theology before.

"That's correct. It's the worlds we live in, more specifically." The gray-haired woman corrects.

"Why are you telling us this grandma?" Katy asks, unsure of her grandma's intentions.

"Because the nine realms are on the verge of war. The rulers of Mount Olympus are becoming aggressive towards the kingdom of Asgard. The two haven't seen eye to eye in three centuries, but in the past few months, the tension has become significantly thicker. I fear if Olympus declares war on Asgard, Jotunheim will side with the Olympians in hopes to get their revenge against King Odin." The late Mrs. Woodson explained, a solemn look crossing her face.

"I thought it was all mythology, you know, fake." Scarlett interjects, having heard of the stories as a child.

"Oh no, it is very real. And the threat has come to Earth now." Marlene states with a serious tone. "There are guardians, protectors of Earth, whose job is to prevent the external conflicts from reaching Earth's soil. When the nine realms were divided, Earth was purposefully set away from the other eight realms. Earth has more power than any kingdom or king could possible hope to control. The source of Earth's powers is in the form of a cube known as the Tesseract. The powers of the Tesseract at one time protected earth from the other realms, preventing creatures from entering. The barrier has become weak however, I fear creatures will come through seeking the Tesseract and its powers."

"How do you know the barrier is weak?" Scarlett asks with a stoic expression.

"I've felt the change in the air. There is more dark magic surrounding Earth than ever before, and I fear Earth will be crushed by evading forces." Marlene states, a distance look in her eyes.

"Why tell us this? What can we do?" Scarlett replies, a gut feeling she already knew the answer coming.

"Because, you five are guardians." Marlene states, noticing the girls various expressions of shock and fear. "Don't worry I will help train you to use your powers."

"What powers? I don't feel anything." Audrey says, looking around the table for support.

"Your powers are there, they're just not in use. Once you discover them you'll realize that they've always been there. I've watched and seen you all and I can already tell what powers you have developed." The green-eyed woman continues. "Chloe, I'm sure you've noticed something unusual with fire lately." Marlene asked, walking to the kitchen and bring out one of her plants. "Focus on the leaf and let your powers naturally come from you."

Brown eyes locked on the green leaf, Chloe began to focus. Soon her eyes began to glow orange, hiding her pupils, an orange glow closed around her body and soon the green leaf began to catch fire.

"Good. You have summoned your powers. In time you will learn how to control large amount of it." Marlene praised, turning to her granddaughter and smiling warmly. "Katy, I want you to focus on the plant as well. I want you to try and blow out the flame Chloe created." The older Woodson instructed.

Taking a deep breath, Katy did just that. The gust of wind was felt around the entire kitchen, blowing papers and light objects around.

"Good. You too have found a way to connect with your power." Marlene noted with pride, smiling at her youngest granddaughter. "Esther, focus on the flower and try to repair the burned leaf. You may be surprised with what you'll be able to do."

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Esther reopened her eyes and focused on the leaf. Beginning to glow purple, Esther's eyes began to glow purple like Chloe's, and the leaf began to grow. First the leaf rebuilt itself, but soon the entire plant exploded with large roots and multiple stems and flowers.

"Very good. We'll practice more with control, but you have the idea." Marley praised. "Audrey, look at the lights. Notice how they shine. Focus all your energy on the lights and see what happens."

Staring at the lights, Audrey eyes began to glow pink, her body began to also glow. The lights suddenly began to flicker, and soon exploded from too much energy.

"Very good. I'm happy to see you were able to control the amount of power put into the motion." The petite woman praised. Finally turning towards Scarlett she smiled at the street fighter's guarded expression. "Scarlett, I haven't known you for very long but there is only one element left. Water."

Nodding, Scarlett looked towards the sink. Staring down the faucet, Scarlett began to feel the power flowing through her veins. She didn't realize she had also begun to glow blue. Soon water began to drip from the faucet, first in slow droplets then in a large spout, nearly bursting the pipes. Shocked by the rapture, Scarlett lost focused, turning the water off and sparing the pipes.

"Good, you have very good self control. All your powers are emotionally based. You will all have to work on controlling the emotions you feel in order to control your powers." Mrs. Woodson explained, removing the plant and beginning to dry the area around the sink.

"What do we do now? How do we protect the, um, Tesseract?" Scarlett asks in a steady tone.

"The Tesseract is safely buried in the Forbidden City. It is unreachable from the outside world unless one knows how to navigate the Maze of Infinity." Marley explained, turning towards the girls once more.

"If it's already safe why does Earth need us?" Audrey asks, a hint of annoyance and doubt in her tone.

"Because no one but guardians know that. Outsiders will come and search everywhere. Your jobs will be to prevent them from destroying the planet."

"But there's a maze, and it's hidden." Scarlett argued, no really believing the Tesseract to be in any real danger.

"But Earth is not equipped to go to war against another kingdom. Should Asgard, Jotunheim, Olympus, or any other kingdom attack, we would fall to them and Earth would be destroyed."

"This is going to be so much fun." Katy exclaims, suddenly excited about their new job.

"I'm glad you're excited about this. You five are going to need a lot of cooperation to pull it off. I hope you are ready for it."

Soon afterwards the girls left, each having to go home and actually do the homework assigned. Riding the bus from Katy's house to her own neighborhood, Scarlett relaxed her head against the bus window, watching the passing cars and streets. She had barely lived in the city for a week and she was already roped into being a protector of the entire planet.

Walking off the bus, Scarlett heaved her backpack further on her shoulders and began walking towards home. Dom would be worried, but hopefully he wouldn't be too pissed since she hadn't told him where she was going to be. Turning the corner of the last block before entering her new neighborhood Scarlett ran straight into something. More like someone. Looking up Scarlett's eyes widened at the sight of the creature in front of her.

Tall, with dark blue skin and various markings and ridges engraved into the skin, a terrifying creature blocked her path. At least 6'5, the creature's blood red eyes sent a shiver down the brunette's spine.

The tall creature smiled wickedly at her, sending Scarlett into a defensive stance.

"Who are you?" the brown-eyed girl asks, not sure if the creature would even understand.

"Your worst nightmare." A deep voice emitted from the beast, a growl followed and suddenly the world around Scarlett went black.

**So this is going to be my main story I focus on. Sorry to all those reading my other stories, but I really want to concentrate on this story, but I will try to update the other stories at some point. Let's go Saints! Beat them Cowboys! **


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Scarlett noticed was the ache and pain circulating in her body, the freezing temperatures forcing her muscles to shake, and the darkness that surrounded the dank floor she was currently lying on. Attempting to rise her head, her muscles pounded violently, urging her to sit back down. Ignoring the pain, the brunette managed to sit up, looking around. As her eyes became adjusted to her surroundings, she noticed first the dim lit crystals illuminating the cavern. There were large iron bars enclosing the mouth of the cave and multiple cells and hallways extending from various holes in the walls. The room she was currently occupying had lots of sharp rocks poking out of the walls, and many of them had dried blood markings on them. Shivering, Scarlett wraps her arms around herself, attempting to save as much body heat as possible.

* * *

A loud clang and the sound of rusted iron moving drew Scarlett's attention away from contemplating an escape toward looking at the main door way. Two guards came in, both resembling the creature that had abducted her.

"Get up." One of the guards orders in a deep voice, unlocking her cell and walking in.

Before the brown-eyed girl could stand on her own, the guard lifted her up easily, placing shackles on her wrists. The shackles began tightening, forcing Scarlett to bit her lip to prevent from screaming out in pain.

"Walk." The second guard orders, walking in front of her and having the second guard bring up the rear.

Walking through, what Scarlett assumed to be the main dungeon area, she noticed most of the cells were empty. Occasionally there would be skeletons inside a cell, or a dying prisoner, but the majority of them were empty. Exiting the dungeon area, they came to a large hall. There were more crystals, and the room becoming increasingly brighter the more they continued through, what Scarlett assumed to be, a palace or fortress type of place. Her suspicions were proven correct when the party of three entered a large throne like room where several more guards stood. In between the extra guards was a massive chair seated above the ground; sitting in the chair was a creature, similar to the rest of them, but much larger. His eyes were a deeper red, and Scarlett could visible see battle scars that had never healed. Some look a little too new for the street fighter's likes.

"Your highness, this is the girl." The first guard said, walking up from behind the imprisoned brunette, pushing her forward towards the throne.

The blood-eyed king directed his attention towards Scarlett, smiling a wicked smile that sent chills down the chocolate-eyed girl.

Before the king could give a response, the doors to the throne room were forcible thrown open, walking in three men and four additional soldiers. Each dressed in heavy-duty battle armor. A large blonde male, with blue eyes wore silver/black armor and a long flowing red cape that reached his ankles. The second, a tall, less muscular male who wore a green/gold amour had a long green cape, his eyes were a piercing emerald and his short black hair contrasted his alabaster skin. The third and final male was an elderly man, with a gold eye patch over his right eye; he wore gold armor and his cape was also red, matching the first male.

"Laufey! Release her." The elder man shouted in a deep voice. He walked with a purpose, looking directly at the blue skin creature.

"Odin, wonderful to see you too." Laufey replied in a sarcastic tone, a deep growl could be heard from the back of his throat.

"Release the girl, Laufey." Odin commanded again, watching as one of Laufey's guard, the one who had chained Scarlett's wrists begins to walk forward. Easily swinging a large hammer, the male with the red cape sent it flying towards the guard, easily knocking him out.

"How dare you try to break our treaty!" The young male exclaimed, summoning the hammer back to him and starring angrily at Laufey.

"Enough, Thor. Now is not the time for childish antics." Odin commanded sternly to his son, silencing him with a firm glare. "Laufey, release the girl and I shall over-look your transgression." Odin bargained with the king.

"You overestimate your power." Laufey growls back, not backing down.

"You underestimate your punishment." Odin counters, walking forward, weapon drawn.

"Fine. Take the girl." Laufey says, walking down from his throne towards Scarlett.

Looking the street fighter in the eye, Laufey could not see terror or anxiety in the girl's eyes. Scarlett starred back unwavering at Laufey's attempt to intimidate her.

"Enough. Release her and we will be on our way." Odin demands, motioning for the other four warriors accompanying them to surround the captive.

"You may win this battle. But the war is far from over." Laufey whispers towards the girl, loosening her shackles and watching as blood began to seep from the cuts on her wrists. "She's all yours." Laufey speaks to Odin.

Nodding in response, Odin sends the second male; the dark haired green eyed one, to escort her. Turning away from Laufey's callous gaze, Scarlett allowed the young male to remove his cape and drape it around the freezing girl's shoulders.

"You're safe now." He whispers in an unfamiliar accent into her ear.

Finally out of the throne room, Scarlett follows Odin and his small band of warriors to the main exit of the castle, which was really a large mountain sculpted to be a castle. Outside the wind is far harsher, and the temperature colder, if even possible. Scarlett finds herself drawing the jade cape even closer around her. The last thing she feels is the emerald-eye boy's arm wrapping around her before she once again falls unconscious.

* * *

Waking up the second time is less painful then the first. The aches and pains are less noticeable, and she is no longer freezing. The new room she's in is bright with golden arches and pillars, and a large window with a balcony looking out onto a breathtaking city. Sitting up slowly, Scarlett looks around the room. She's lying in a bed, with green sheets, and there's a table drawn up to the side with various medical looking equipment and instruments. There is a green shirt lying on a chair on the fair side of the room. Looking down she finds herself wearing a white dress that barely covers her petite body. The room is warmly lit, with a large wall full of books and various papers. There's a tender fireplace heating the room closest to the chair with the clothes, and the doors to the balcony are open, allowing a fresh breeze to blow in.

Slowly getting out of bed, Scarlett walks over to the fireplace, allowing the heat to warm her up slowly. Looking at the chair, she grabs the shirt, removing the short, white dress in favor of the silk green shirt. Reaching mid-thigh, the shirt is more of a dress on the 5'3 street kid. Walking outside through the parted doors, Scarlett finds herself awed at the gorgeous city lying just beyond a golden gate. The sun is setting, casting a soft glow to the golden buildings around her.

"I see you're up." A soft voice says behind her, startling the brunette from her thoughts.

Whipping around, Scarlett comes face to face with the boy who had help save her life. He was very handsome, Scarlett couldn't deny. At least 6 feet tall, high cheekbones on alabaster skin, offset by neck length black hair. The thing the street fighter couldn't look away from was the boy's green eyes. They seemed full of mischief and endless amusement.

"Who are you?" Scarlett asks, cutting straight to the point.

"Direct. I like that. I'm Prince Loki of Asgard at your service my lady." Loki replies, bowing slightly at the hips at the much smaller teen.

"Scarlett." Scarlett replies, blushing slightly as Loki walks closer to her, pinning her against the railing, and kissing the back of her hand lightly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." The emerald eye teenager replies, smiling warmly at the brunette. Making her to blush for the first time in her life.

"Where am I?" The dark-eye girl asks, feeling an unfamiliar twist in her gut at Loki's close proximity.

"The royal palace of Asgard." Loki answers, backing away slightly, but keeping her sun-kissed hand in his.

"Why am I here?" The ruby lipped young woman continues to question, looking away from Loki's intense gaze.

"We were hoping you could tell us that." Loki replies, looking past the short brunette towards the endless sky.

"I don't know. The last thing I remember is waking up in this awful cell at Laufey's palace." Scarlett says, trying to think back to home, to the first day of school, to Katy's house.

"Not very helpful but it's information nonetheless." Loki says in a quiet voice, sighing and continuing to examine the brunette.

Raised in the kingdom of Asgard, Loki has seen his fair share of women. The most beautiful duchesses, princesses, and maidens of the realms often visited Asgard for parties and celebrations. None of them compared to the teen girl standing in front of him now. Her tan skin, full red/pink lips, dark brown-red hair and bright brown-green eyes beautifully accentuated her petite figure. Descent size breasts and curves in all the right places made added to her attractiveness. The muscles and obvious strength behind her misleading figure gave her a powerful presence; something Loki found attractive in a lady.

"You're up." A woman's voice interrupted Loki's scrutiny of Scarlett.

Both teens turn to face a very beautiful woman. Exceptionally tall with long golden hair, and gentle features, the woman was stunning.

"Mother, I would like to introduce you to the Lady Scarlett." Loki says in a proud voice, smiling brightly at the teen by his side. "Scarlett this is my mother, Queen Frigga of Asgard." Loki introduces the pair.

"It's wonderful to meet you my dear. I'm sure you're exhausted from all that's happened to you." Frigga smiles warmly at Scarlett, reminding the street girl of the mother she no longer had.

"Yes ma'am. Thank you for your hospitality and rescue." Scarlett replies in a polite voice, masking her pain with a warm smile.

"Don't worry about it dear. King Laufey should know better then to send his men to Midgard." Frigga replies, taking Scarlett's smaller hands in her own. "We've prepared a banquet in your honor. Loki I'll need time alone with her to get ready. Your clothes are laid out in Thor's room. Please, don't be late." Frigga instructs to the dark haired male, making a point to send the prince away. "Also your father wants to see you in the throne room once you're finished getting ready." Frigga adds, watching, as Loki looks hesitant towards the golden door and back at Scarlett.

"Yes mother." Loki says politely, kissing his mother's cheek loving and giving Scarlett a look the queen hasn't seen before.

Shutting the door on the way out, Frigga makes sure Loki is on his way towards his brother's room before she begins to prepare the guest of honor.

"I had some of my servants draw a bath for you my dear." Frigga announces, walking around the large fireplace through a large door. Scarlett follows, having to walk a fast pace to keep up with Frigga's much longer strides. "I hope you find everything you need. Once you're finished let me know and we can begin to dress you."

"I can't wear this?" Scarlett asks confused, motioning towards the green shirt currently covering her.

Laughing in a heartfelt manner, Frigga smiles at Scarlett with mirth in her eyes. "No my dear. That's Loki's shirt." The queen states in an amused tone.

"Oh. I didn't know. I thought it was a dress. My bad." Scarlett reddens, clearly embarrassed by her ignorance.

"Don't worry dear, I'm sure Loki didn't mind." Frigga assures her, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "You know, I've never seen him so protective of anything or anyone in his entire life."

"What do you mean?" Scarlett asks confused and slightly scared, no one had ever cared about her in her entire life, the idea of someone finally worrying about the street fighter was a feeling she gave up on long ago.

"Apparently after you fainted, Loki insisted he carry you to his room to get healed. He was in a demanding mood. He insisted on only the best healers in Asgard for you. Once he laid you down on his bed, he made sure you were changed out of your clothes. Don't worry he didn't watch, the healer removed your clothes and redressed you." Frigga assures, noticing Scarlett's brown eyes widen at the new information. "He stayed in the room for a good three hours straight. He refused to leave until he was certain you'd live."

"Was I that close to dying?" Scarlett interrupts, not meaning to be rude but her paranoia kicking in.

"Yes. Midgardians don't last very long in Jotunheim. I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did, honestly. Loki was so worried you'd die. He even used his own magic to start the healing process." Frigga explains, looking at the teen with a small smile. "Loki only left because his brother wanted to speak to him urgently."

Nodding her head in response, Scarlett begins to analyze and process the new information given to her. The prince of Asgard, the most handsome teen she's ever laid eyes on, is protective of her? She's never had anyone care so much about her in her life. Sure Dom in his own way is protective of his only child, but he just met her three years earlier, and their relationship, if you can call it that was very sensitive.

"Go on, get freshen up and I'll be waiting to get your dressed." Frigga urges, pushing lightly on the brunette's back towards the open door.

Walking inside the gold bathroom, Scarlett's mouth visible opens at the sight. There's a large marble bath tube in the center of the room, easily bigger than most Jacuzzis, surrounded by hundreds of candles. A large mirror covers one wall, and the small balcony doors are open, allowing the silk curtains to flow in the breeze.

Easily slipping out of the lime colored shirt, Scarlett wades into the tube gradually, letting the warm water soak her skin. Submerging completely into the bath water, Scarlett resurfaces feeling more relaxed then ever before.

After a half hour soaking, washing her hair and body, Scarlett leaves the cooling waters, wearing Loki's green shirt once more. Finding some spare towels lying on a large counter, the brunette wraps her hair in one, and begins to dry herself off with the other.

Emerging from the bathroom doors, the street fighter returns to the main part of Loki's bedroom, finding a whole team of seamstresses, and tailors. The queen is in the center of the room, along with one of the warriors from Laufey's palace.

"Good you're finished. I had Taylin and her girls come in to help fit you." Frigga explains, motioning towards the tailor and seamstresses working with the most beautiful fabrics Scarlett's ever seen.

Looking at the tall, black haired woman wearing a silver sleeveless armor-like outfit, Scarlett's features harden, becoming alert of the unknown presence.

Noticing her sudden change in demeanor, Frigga follows her brown-eyes towards the pale woman. Realizing Scarlett's troubles, Frigga realizes their new guest is more complicated than she first assumed.

"Scarlett, meet the Lady Sif, one of Odin's finest warriors and a dear friend to Thor." Frigga introduces, trying to avoid the growing tension.

"It's very nice to meet you. Thor said we had a visitor." Sif says in a stiff voice, her hand moving towards her weapon.

"Likewise." Scarlett replies, her voice cold and emotionless.

Not deterred by the two women's cold introductions, Frigga continues. "Scarlett, dear, please change into these garments that Taylin has made for you. I gave her an estimate on your size."

Taking the blue sparkly garments from one of the servants, Scarlett walks behind an Asgardian version of a Shoji screen, removing the towel and Loki's shirt. Finding difficulty with the articles of clothing, Frigga helps the street girl with the various garments, and layers. Walking around the screen once more, the seamstresses instantly begin to work on fitting the bodice, corset, and various laces, securing the dress to the petite New Yorker's body.

"You look beautiful." Frigga gushes, stepping away from the brunette to inspect her fully.

Dressed in a sparkly midnight blue, Scarlett's dress hug her waist beautiful. Flaring past the waist, it had a full skirt and various ribbons and ties on the back. Gold armored bracelets reaching her elbows adorned each arm, and a shiny gold belt hung securely around her waist made the dress even more sliming. The neckline was a simple sweetheart and from the back a flowing sparkly, blue see-through train reached the floor.

"Jewelry! You must have accessories." The queen cried, sending the servants running throughout the room cleaning up the fabrics and replacing them with collections of the jewels.

"No, it's not necessary. You've already done so much." Scarlett protests as the servants begin to hold various necklaces towards her neck.

"Nonsense dear, it's my pleasure." Frigga quiets her fussing, looking through more jewels. "Her hair! Something must be done!"

Instantly a handful of servants gathered around the New Yorker, forcing her to sit on a pulled out chair while they began to brush and style her collarbone length hair. Easily wrapping the thick tresses into a mess bun, the servants began pinning the chocolate locks with sparkly diamond pins, successfully keeping it tightly pinned to the fighter's head. While servants finished her hair, another round of servants began doing Scarlett's makeup. Dark blue and black eye shadows were applied to the tan skin, complimenting her brown eyes and adding some sparkly shadows to enhance the look. A nude lipstick was applied to the full lips, brightening her natural pink-red lips. Sparkly diamonds were placed in both piercings of the street girl's double pierced ears, allowing the small silver hoops to remain in the cartilage hole. A simple sparkly gold plate necklace was tied to Scarlett's neck, allowing the gold to match the gold armor pieces decorating her outfit.

"There. You're ready." Frigga announces, the servants instantly backing away from the brunette.

"Thank you." Scarlett breathes lightly, catching her reflection in the mirror and barely recognizing the girl starring back.

On que, a male servant walks through the door, announcing dinner.

"Come along. I'm sure Loki will be anxiously awaiting your arrival." Frigga says jokingly, taking Scarlett's arms and escorting the guest herself. Sif followed silently ahead of the two, opening the various doors that lead to the dinning hall.

* * *

Impatiently pacing around the table, Loki refused to sit until Scarlett arrived, alive and well.

"Relax brother, I'm sure the girl's fine. Mother will see to it that she is properly taken care of." Thor, Loki's older brother, tries to calm the younger prince, realizing the effect their guest had on his brother.

"Don't tell me to relax, Thor! I'm aware mother will take excellent care of her, but I'm just worried. She looked rather pale when I checked on her before she awoke." Loki snaps back, not wanting his irritating brother to disturb his inner thoughts.

"She should be here shortly. I sent a servant to fetch them." Odin intervenes, noticing his son's tense mood.

That moment the large gold door opens, signaling their arrival. Instantly alert, Loki ceases pacing and stand at attention, waiting to see the beautiful girl who has suddenly captured his attention. Instead, the Warrior Sif walks through the entrance, noticing the three male's stance.

"Don't worry. She's coming." Sif reassures them, mostly Thor and Odin, not giving Loki a glance.

Visible relaxing, Loki watches as his mother walks through the door, her lovely presence calming his sensitive nerves.

Walking towards her youngest son, Frigga gently kisses Loki's cheek, calming the god of lies even further.

"Relax my son. Patience is a virtue." Frigga reminds the dark haired boy, walking to stand near her husband.

Sucking in a deep breath, Scarlett prepares for the scariest thing she's ever done in her sixteen-year life. Standing up straighter, and placing a warm smile on her face, the brunette walks confidently into the large dinning hall, finding and locking eyes on the green eye boy who sent butterflies flying around her stomach.

Loki's reaction was priceless to say the least. Visible dropping his jaw open, Thor instantly shut his mouth, attempting to save his brother some humiliation from the beautiful maiden walking towards him. To say he was awe struck was an understatement. Loki was completely flabbergasted at Scarlett's stunning appearance, her self-assured entrance, and the dazzling smile that brought out her light dimples.

Walking directly up to the 6'2 god of mischief, Scarlett looks into Loki's deep green eyes, hoping to bring the god out of his trance. Finally able to catch his breath, Loki takes the tan hand at the street fighter's side and kisses it's knuckle, much like their first greeting.

"You look absolutely stunning." Loki compliments in a soft voice, not wanting to wake up from this wonderful dream.

"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself." Scarlett replies playfully, blushing a deep red at Loki's compliment.

Watching the pair, Frigga and Thor are both overcome with joy. Although he hasn't had the opportunity to speak privately with the Midgardian teen, Thor is sure she is the best thing to happen to his baby brother, noticing the way Loki's cold exterior melts in her presence.

"Please have a seat." Loki says, remembering his manors and appetite. Pulling out a seat for the brunette beauty, Loki allows her to sit before pushing the large golden chair forward slightly, moving to sit across from her at the extensive table.

"Dinner is served, your majesties." The headwaiter announces, clapping his hand and summoning more servants to deliver the main courses.

The traditional Asgardian food filled the table, each smelling delicious and all equally skillfully prepared. Keeping her manors, and appetite in check, Scarlett waits till all the food is laid before them, watching as the entire table, begin to take their share. Noticing three new faces, Scarlett begins to take in her surroundings, no longer locked in a stare down with Loki. Three males, the remaining three males who aided in her rescue, were seated at the far side of the table with Thor and Sif. Odin and Frigga made up the head, and Loki sat across from her. Noticing her companion on her side of the table was a large male, with red hair and a curly red beard. He was near the same size as Loki, only much bigger, and he wore silver armor with a faded red cape. His friends on his other side were a blonde male with a small beard, and an Asian looking man with long sideburns, and a spiked ponytail.

Not hesitating to take her fair share, Scarlett began filling her plate with the various foods closest to her. Soon the table was full of laughter, conversation, and utensils clattering while mouths were shoved full of food.

"Scarlett, dear, how about telling us a little bit more about you?"

**Ok so in the next chapter I'm going to go more into Scarlett's history. Sorry if it's taking awhile for character development to take place, but don't worry, everything's going to come out in the open real soon! Thanks for all the readers, reviewers, and followers and favorites! I know this is taking awhile to lift off, but I've got a real idea where I'm headed with this paper! Thanks! SAINTS WON! WHO-DAT NATION! P.S. if someone wants to shoot me a PM or review on how you make lines in your stories (I'm trying it for the first time cuz I don't know how to do it, but I'm trying to figure it out) that'd be great! **


	3. Chapter 3

The table fell silent at the queen's question. Instantly all eyes landed on the quiet guest. Unsure how to begin her tale, and not exactly comfortable with revealing all about herself, Scarlett wipes her mouth a bit before answering.

"What would you like know, your majesty?"

"Please call me Frigga. And everything." The queen replies, smiling warmly at the mysterious girl.

"Well my name is Scarlett Carano. Well soon it will be Gambino. I was born in Wyoming. I grew up in NYC till I turned ten. I'm sixteen, and my favorite subject is history." Scarlett says, keeping her voice steady although her gut began to twist.

"Who are your parents?" Frigga asks, genuinely curious.

"My mom's name Diana Carano and my dad's name Dominic Gambino. Dom for short though." Scarlett replies, crushing the urge to run from the room.

"That's a lovely name. Diana. What does your father do for a living?" Frigga persists, not noticing the street fighter's obvious discomfort.

"He's a mechanic. Owns his own garage and everything. My mom was a waitress while living in New York." Scarlett replies, uncertain where the conversation was going.

"That's lovely. Where are your father and mother now? And why don't they share the same name?" Frigga persists, still unaware to Scarlett's darkening mood.

"Mother!" Loki intervenes, the only one noticing Scarlett's pain.

"No, it's fine." Scarlett quickly stops Loki, unsure what he'll do. "My parents don't share the same name because when they were married my mom wanted to keep her maiden name."

"That's unusual. Why didn't she want to take your father's name?" Frigga asks, unaccustomed to Midgardian marriage arrangements.

"I don't know. I think it's because she was too independent to have a man tie her down." Scarlett says, thinking back to her parents and all the stories her mother told. "They got married shortly after I was born."

"They had a child first!" Frigga nearly exclaims, clearly shocked by the information.

"Yeah…my mom was eighteen when I was born." Scarlett says in a quiet voice, hurt by Frigga's outburst. "Dom was twenty."

Noticing Scarlett's embarrassed look, Loki steps in before his mother says something to hurt the Midgardian further.

"Mother enough." Loki says harshly towards his mother, earning a few stares from the other table members. Standing up abruptly, Loki walks behind Scarlett's chair and helps her out. "Come on let's get out of here." The green eye boy says coolly towards the brunette, sending his mother a disapproving look.

Nodding her head and not arguing, Scarlett allows Loki to lead her through a different set of golden doors, through another large hall and through a large dark room. Opening a pair of tall French doors, Loki leads the confused fighter outside to a large balcony, much longer and wider than the one in Loki's room. The sun had set, and lights and the moon illuminated the kingdom. Millions of stars glittered the night sky, and the view was breathtaking.

"Forgive mother, she is unaccustomed to Midgardian culture." Loki says, escorting the beautiful brown eye girl to a large bench placed against one of the railings.

"It's fine. I haven't talked about my mom in a while." Scarlett replies, fighting back tears. "She died when I was five years old."

Surprise by Scarlett's words, Loki quickly hides his shock, and doesn't ask any questions. He allows the street fighter to tell him everything on her own terms.

"We were living in Brooklyn. I was asleep when it happened. The only thing I remember from that night were the cops breaking through the door to make sure I was all right." Scarlett says quietly, replaying that unforgettable night in her head. "The cops told me my mother was dead before we even got to the hospital. They asked where my father was and I told them I didn't have one. Diana, my mom, only told me stories about Dom. She never actually let me talk to him. I only met the man three years ago when I moved to LA." Scarlett sighs, looking up at the endless sky. "I never told anyone this before." The street girl says, looking at Loki and meeting his green eyes.

"Thank you." Loki speaks quietly, taking both of her hands and kissing them. "I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for you."

"It wasn't too bad. You get over it pretty fast. I learned that if you let it bother you, you'll never move forward. You can't move on without letting go." Scarlett says, losing her melancholy expression. "Since I moved in with Dom, I've met my aunt, her fiancé, and a bunch of Dom's friends. They're my new family now."

"Why are you knuckles bruised?" Loki asks seriously, changing the subject while inspecting Scarlett's hands more closely in the dim light.

"That's a long story." Scarlett replies, smiling lightly at the memories, some fonder than others.

Looking at her seriously in the eyes, Scarlett could see the worry behind Loki's emerald orbs. Sighing, Scarlett allows the young prince to gentle message her hand, urging her to continue.

"Before I could even walk or talk properly, my mom taught me how to fight. When I threw my first punch, my mom realized I had natural skill, and she trained me how to hold my own. Ever since I've been fighting on the streets. There are these competitions, boxing, MMA, and some other bare-knuckle fights that are both professional and underground. In New York, you can get paid some serious cash for competing and winning. When I turned ten I began to compete in the junior league. Before I moved, I had made a name of myself. 'The best female fighter the New York Underground has ever seen'. Since then I've been competing for cash. It's better than selling myself, and I usually can beat my competition. I've been trained my whole life, so it isn't different." Scarlett confesses, looking away from Loki's worry-filled eyes. "I never meant for it to become a lifestyle. When I lived in Chicago I got caught up in some really messed up shit. Since then I only fight when confronted. They nicknamed me 'Lioness', although I'm small I can pack a punch."

"How many fights have you lost?" Loki asks, his tone dark and anger visible behind his green irises.

"Not too many. Mostly my first fights, because I wasn't used to to fighting against people who'd hit back, hard. After my first few fights I nearly beat a girl to death, I realized I could potentially kill someone with my skill. So I controlled my strength in the ring, unless I was competing against a larger opponent." Scarlett replies, a dark look crossing her beautiful features.

"Have you killed any of your opponents?" Loki asks, noticing her visible flinch at the question.

"Yes. A girl who only fought because she had to make ends meet. She was a single mother. It was in Chicago. My boss forced me to kill her because she had ratted him out to the cops. I didn't want to, but I had no choice. I killed her, quick and easy. She didn't feel a thing. I also made sure her daughter was safe. Away from all the dirt and grim of the Chicago streets." Scarlett replies, in a pained expression. "I have a lot of skeletons in my closet, Loki. I didn't have the benefit to grow up with a sibling, two parents, in a castle full of servants. It's always just been me."

"I understand." Loki replies simple, kissing her knuckles and locking eyes on her. "I've never felt this close to anyone in my entire life. And I thank you for feeling comfortable enough to open up to me. I can't imagine how difficult that must be for you."

"I've honestly never told anyone that. Not even Dom. He's asked several times, but I don't have the heart to tell him." The brunette says, letting her eyes sparkle with unshed tears. "I just don't want to disappoint him like my mom."

"I understand that. I've always grown up in Thor's shadow. Anything I did, Thor did better. I've never been one for athletics or combat. But it seems my intellectual superiority to Thor's doesn't matter in the eyes of my father. He's always favored Thor." Loki reveals a bitter tone laced between his words.

"Have you talked to your father about it?" Scarlett asks, moving her hands to grip Loki's instead, rubbing small circles on the backs.

"No. He doesn't have time for me. As of late he's been concentrating on Thor. Before he was more subtle about it, now he doesn't seem to care about me." The younger prince continues, a look of defeat in his eyes. "There's nothing I can do to make him notice me. He's always ignored me when he could. Even Sif and the Warrior's Three have not seen me as anything more than 'Thor's little brother'."

"Well if you asked me, I'd pick you over Thor. At Laufey's palace you thought more of the situation then your brother, and you didn't attack out of pure emotion. That takes more skill, courage, and control then someone might think." Scarlett reassures Loki honestly, looking at him with her dark eyes opposite of his light ones.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Loki asks, changing the subject slightly and catching Scarlett off guard.

"Yes. Actually I had an older brother." Scarlett replies understanding Loki didn't wish to continue with the previous conversation.

"What was he like?" Loki asks, looking towards the glistening city.

"Technically he was my foster brother. He was four years older. His name was Joe, but I called him Joey. I met him when I was living in Detroit." Scarlett details, letting Loki play with her fingers once more.

"Was he nice?" Loki asks, looking down at their intertwined fingers.

"Yes. When he was sober. He was a drug and alcohol addict. He died the night before his eighteenth birthday; I was thirteen at the time. Before he died we planned on leaving our foster family and move to LA, try to start a new life with him as my guardian." Scarlett whispers, letting a single tear fall down her cheek at mentioning their plans. "He swore he was going to get sober. He lied."

Wiping the tear, Loki looks back up at the street girl's broken expression. "I apologize for upsetting you. It wasn't my intentions." Loki says. Feeling his gut turn in guilt. Pulling the brunette to her feet, the god leads the fighter inside the castle. Once inside the prince claps his hand allowing the room to light up.

The room is actually a grand ballroom. Bejeweled with a large chandelier, a grand piano, and a large marble floor painted and polished to perfection. A masterpiece of ancient Norse stories was painted upon the ceiling.

"Wow, this is amazing." Scarlett breathes in with amazement. Quickly forgetting Joey and his O.D., Scarlett's attention is fully drawn to the enchanted room she currently stands in. "It's like something out of a fairytale."

"It is pretty extravagant. This is the grand ballroom of Asgard. In two days we'll hold the annual Princes' Ball here." Loki says, motioning towards a far wall where decorators have begun to decorate.

"You dance?" Scarlett asks, looking at Loki with a quizzical look on her face.

"Yes, actually. I am rather good at it too." Loki replies smugly, making the tan girl roll her eyes.

"Is that a piano?" The street fighter asks, looking at the noir grand piano resting in the far corner, obstructed slightly by multiple decoration boxes.

"Yes. You have them on Midgard?" Loki asks, already knowing the answer, having read quickly through his old Midgardian books while the street fighter was unconscious.

"Yeah. My mom knew how to play. She did it during the holiday season at the bar and grill where she worked." Scarlett says, walking towards the piano and lightly brushing her fingertips across the open keys. "She taught me how to a little play a long time ago."

Sitting down on the black bench, Scarlett begins humming some melodic tune, picking up the rhythm before attempting to play them on the keys. Lightly pressing down on the pearl white keys, the brunette beginning singing, at first in a whisper before singing at her regular volume.

"I hear the wind call my name. The sound that leads me home again. It sparks up the fire-a flame that still burns. To you I will always return. I know the road is long but where you are is home. Wherever you stay-I'll find the way. I'll run like the river, I'll follow the sun. I'll fly like an eagle to where I belong. I can't stand the distance-I can't dream alone. I can't wait to see you-yes I'm on my way home…" the brunette sang in a powerful voice, revealing a singing potential unknown to the green eye prince.

"You sing?" Loki asks, clearly surprised.

"No, not really. It's a lullaby my mom used to sing to me. It's from one of my favorite movies as a child, _'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'_." Scarlett replies, blushing at Loki's stare.

"You're very talented." Loki compliments, earning a deeper blush from the brunette.

_Damn, how can this one guy make me blush more times in a day, than in my entire life? _Scarlett thought, pushing down the butterflies that floated around her stomach at Loki's gaze.

Unconsciously yawning, the brunette let the fatigue of the day finally catch up to her. Noticing right away the sleepy eye coming to the stunning brunette, Loki remembered the long day she's had.

"Come on, you're tired. Let's get you to sleep." Loki says in a soft voice, easily walking around the piano to help her out of the bench.

"Thanks. I don't mean to be a downer." Scarlett says, letting a larger yawn through, finally running out of steam.

"Here. I'll just carry you. It'll be quicker." Loki says, easily picking the petite girl up in his strong arms, walking through the double doors of the ballroom, the lights instantly turning off once they left.

Walking around the palace, Loki brought Scarlett back through the hall she and Frigga first walked through before dinner started. Noticing lots of decorations, flowers, and paintings hanging on the wall, the fighter made a note of asking Loki about it later, when she was less exhausted.

Kicking the door to his room open, Loki strode in with grace, setting the petite fighter down before the bed. Turning to leave, Scarlett's husky voice stopped Loki in his tracks.

"You know, I'm going to need help getting out of this thing." Scarlett motions towards the jaw dropping dress still clinging to her body, and the various jewels and armor decorating it.

Turning around, Loki steps closer to the brunette, beginning removing the golden neck plate seated on her neckline. Turning to face the green-eye god, Scarlett lifts both arms to his face, allowing the golden wrist guards to shimmer in the light. Helping her remove the golden arm plates, Loki notices the small red marks on her skin, clearly the armor was too heavy for her small arms. Turning back around, Loki began to work on the bodice and corset part of the dress. Loosening ties, unfastening hooks, and unwrapping ribbons. After a few moments of working, the top of the blue dress loosened, forcing the brown-eye girl to hold the top portion to her chest, covering her bosom.

"Is that all?" Loki asks, noticing a few scars and bruises on the tan skin of the brunette's back.

"Yes, thank you. Wait here." Scarlett commands, walking behind the Shoji and removing the dress further. Finding Loki's shirt where she dropped it from before, the brunette changed back into it, removing the sparkly pins in her hair up.

Walking back out, the brunette locks were a mess of thick waves, cascading down to her shoulders, her hair still slightly pulled up. The blue and black of her make-up clashed with the dark green shirt she wore.

"Where are you going to sleep?" Scarlett asks, breaking the silent that had fallen between the pair as Loki stood, examining her attire, memorizing every detail.

"What do you mean?" Loki asks, not sure why she asked.

"If I'm sleeping in your room where will you sleep?" Scarlett clarifies; noting the green sheets on the bed matched the shirt she wore perfectly.

"Don't worry about me, darling. Sleep in the bed and I'll find some other arrangements." Loki replies, recalling he never told her it was his room she was brought to.

"No, that's not fair. It's your room. You should sleep in it." Scarlett objects, walking towards Loki to protest.

"No, you will sleep there. You're the guest. Besides there are many other places I can sleep." Loki assures, recognizing the brunette's stubbornness.

"I'll only sleep here if you're near by." Scarlett counters, folding her arms across her chest and giving the god a firm stare.

"Fine. Take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch." Loki compromises, seeing the brunette visible relax.

"Fine." Turning around the brunette headed for the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Loki asks.

"Taking off my make-up." Scarlett calls from the open door, finding some wash clothes to remove the sparkly eye shadow. Removing the diamonds in her two piercing and laying them on the counter. The brunette easily finds her old two earrings, placing them in her double piercings before exiting the bathroom.

"You have your ears pierced?" Loki asks, not noticing the diamonds before.

"Yeah. Starting when I was thirteen." Scarlett replies, settling into the bed.

"Did they hurt? Most Asgardian women don't have that many piercings." Loki motions to the two additional holes.

"Oh it's an American thing. I think." Scarlett replies, reaching her hands up to feel the titanium earrings covering the holes.

"They look good on you." Loki compliments, turning away and beginning to remove his armor.

"What are you doing?" the brunette's voice asks.

Slowly turning around, Loki gives her a confused expression. "I'm preparing for bed."

"Do you need help with that?" the New Yorker asks, already out of bed and walking over to where Loki was currently undoing his own garments.

"Sure. If you take this, it'll be easier." Loki accepts her help, letting her hold his coat as he began with the many buckles to remove it. Finally succeeding in removing all the heavy armor and materials to his outfit, Loki stands before the American in only his green tunic and blank pants.

"I'll give you some privacy." Scarlett says, flushing red at the sight of Loki's chest peaking out from beneath the v-neck tunic.

Nodding in response, Loki watches as the blushing brunette walks into the bathroom, shutting the door behind. Given the brief moment of privacy, Loki removes his shirt and pants. Walking towards the large closet and changing into his sleep pants.

"You can come out now." Loki calls towards the closed door, watching the fighter blush a deeper hue than her name at the sight of Loki's bare chest.

"You're sleeping topless?" Scarlett manages to choke out, clearly embarrassed at Loki's current state.

"Yes. I usually do." Loki replies, not at all ashamed of his body. _He really shouldn't be either._

Although appearing skinny, Loki did possess some muscle under his heavy armor. His chest wasn't as marvelous as Thor's, but it was muscular, fitting his tall lean figure. His biceps and triceps were an appropriate size for his frame, and Scarlett could clearly see the visible scars from battle and sparring.

"Good night." Scarlett says quietly, walking towards the bed and beginning to get settled once more.

"Good night." Loki replies, watching her make herself comfortable before resting on her side, her front facing the door.

Settling himself on the luxurious couch opposite of the fireplace, which blocked his view, the prince can hear the steadying of the fighter's breath as she slips into slumber. Double-checking on her several times before reassuring himself she was asleep; Loki finally made himself comfortable, allowing the deep sleep to take a hold of him.

* * *

Awoken by various cries, Loki is instantly awake and at Scarlett's side in a heartbeat. Turning on the side lamp, Loki notices the sweat pouring down the brunette's body, and the messed up sheets as her sleeping body kicks and cries.

"Scarlett wake up." Loki whispers into the racer's ear, calming her only temporary before she's crying in her sleep. "Scarlett wake up." Loki speaks more urgently, hoping the racer isn't a deep sleeper. Still not awakening from the nightmare, Loki assumes. "Scarlett, wake up!" Loki shouts in a worried tone, shaking the street racer from her sleep.

Vocally gasping and wide-eyed of fright, the fighter snaps her head towards the god standing above her, worry in his eyes.

"What happened?" Scarlett asks, her voice shaky and her breath uneven.

"You were having a nightmare." Loki replies, worried out of his mind.

"Sorry. It happens occasionally." Scarlett addresses her current state. "It's just a bad dream."

"You were crying." Loki says in a stern voice, not breaking eye contact with the tan girl.

"I'm fine. It's just a dream." Scarlett repeats, mostly to herself in a whisper.

Nodding in response, Loki watches as the fighter relaxes her breathing, calming herself back down to a controllable state.

"Loki. Could. Could you stay with me?" the Midgardian asks in a small voice, looking at Loki with pleading eyes.

Smiling softly at her, Loki gently kisses her temple, laying her back down on the green sheets before climbing over her, settling down at her side. Reaching up, the god of mischief turns off the side lamp once more, settling down into the damp sheets. Snuggling up to Loki, Scarlett allows her back to face the door, burying her head in the junction between Loki's neck and shoulder, her breaths steadying out once more. Loki waits until the street fighter is once more asleep before allowing himself to drift off.

**Ok so how'd you like Scarlett's background so far? More info on Dom, Diana, and the rest of the crew shortly! Thanks for all the reviews, followers, favoriters (not a word but whatever). I'm so thankful for you all! You're the reason why I write! Anyways if Loki's character seems a little off I'm sorry, this is pre-Thor so he's happier. Also I'm not sure what to classify this story: Avengers, Thor, Thor 2, etc. Originally it was a cross-over, but I changed it to the Avengers. Now I'm thinking of moving it to "Thor". But I do plan to include the other Avengers as teenagers later on so maybe I'll keep it as it is. Anyways reviews, comments, suggestions, concerns are all welcomed! Thanks! **


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up, Scarlett feels more at peace then she has felt since she was a little girl. Attempting to role over, a firm arm wrapped securely around her waist, prevents her movements. Twisting to her other side, the fighter's hazel eyes fall upon the peaceful face of the dark haired god. Smiling warmly at Loki's sleeping appearance, Scarlett slowly begins reaching her hand up, moving a few pieces of Loki's black locks away from his face. Blushing at their closeness, and Loki's half-nakedness, the brunette settles closer to the prince, feeling his grip on her waist tighten. Sighing, Scarlett begins to gentle rub circles in the arm warped around her torso, noticing Loki nuzzle his head further into her shoulder. Slowly opening his emerald eyes, the trickster locks eyes on the beautiful girl trapped in his grip.

"Morning." Loki speaks quietly, pulling himself closer to her, if possible, and sitting up a little, looking down at the brunette's hair sprawled across the pillows.

"Morning to you too." Scarlett replies, her voice husky and her eyes sparkling at Loki.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Fine. Thank you, for staying with me." Scarlett replies, motioning toward their current state. "It really means a lot to me."

"It's not a problem. I wish I could do more." Loki replies, moving his hands to intertwine with hers.

"There's nothing you could've done." Scarlett reassures him, shifting to face him head on.

Smiling at her current state, Loki can feel the tan girl's soft legs rub against his own legs, the feeling sending a spark down his spine.

Blushing at Loki's intense eyes, Scarlett quickly looks away, her cheeks turning pink.

"You know, that color looks very good on you." Loki jokes, motioning towards her reddening cheeks.

"Stop! I don't know why I'm blushing so much. I swear I've never blushed before I met you." Scarlett half jokes back, noticing Loki's eyes brighten at her confession.

"Well, I'll make it a point to see that your cheeks stay a permanent red, and that smile never leaves your face." Loki promises, watching as the hazel eyes looking at him widen at his words.

Before Scarlett can ask her question, the door to his room is open, a worried Thor and a confused queen marching in.

"I'm sorry. Are we interrupting something?" Frigga asks, a surprise and curious look crossing her calm features.

"No. Not at all your majesty." Scarlett quickly replies, looking away from Loki towards their guest, sitting completely up.

"What is it, Thor?" Loki asks bitterly, staring at his brother with an unimpressed look.

"We were worried about you. When I came to see Thor searching for you, he said he hadn't seen you since you left the table last night." Frigga defends her son, sending Loki a stern look to not fight with his brother.

"When neither of us could find you, we came here. We didn't realize you were…preoccupied." Thor finishes, stumbling with his choice of words.

"Nothing happened. Loki was a gentleman and if anyone should be blamed it's me. I asked him to join me, because I couldn't sleep. Anymore questions?" Scarlett speaks in an authoritative voice, silencing Frigga and Thor's questions.

"That was very kind of you, Loki." Frigga compliments, smiling at brunette's fierceness.

Nodding in response, Loki kisses the brunette's hand before standing up out of the bed. Walking towards his brother, Loki pushes him towards the bathroom, growling something quietly, Thor following obediently.

After Loki nearly slams the door shut, Scarlett leaves the warm confines of the sheets as well, standing before the queen.

"Look your majesty I'm really sorry if I got Loki into any sort of trouble. He had the best intentions and he didn't do anything against my wishes." Scarlett reassures the queen, eyeing her carefully.

"Don't worry dear, I understand. I realize I may have gone a little overboard on the questioning last night at dinner and I apologize. I should've been more conscious of your feelings towards such private matters." Frigga apologizes, surprising the street fighter temporarily. "I like you, Scarlett. You've been such a positive influence on my son. Both of them actually. I haven't seen Loki so happy since he was a boy. And their bickering has significantly lessened since your arrival."

"Apology accepted." Caught off guard by Frigga's words, the brunette replies, smiling warmly at the queen, who mirrored the smile.

Turning away from the queen, Scarlett motions towards the balcony, the queen following the younger woman's lead. Outside the sun is beginning to rise, the darkening sky become increasingly brighter by the second.

"You remind me a lot of my mother. The way you're always smiling and your ability to calm people's nerves. You're also very pretty like my mom, and you don't take 'no' for an answer." Scarlett confesses to the queen, who remains silent at the fighter opens up a little. "My mom was murdered when I was five, outside our home. Ever since then the topic of 'family' or 'parents' have always hurt a little. You didn't know, so I don't hold it against you, but it's not a subject I'm comfortable with discussing in front of people." Scarlett continues, turning to the queen, implying 'people' as the other members of the castle.

The queen nods her head in understanding, the new information giving more details on the Midgardian's background.

"I'm honored and flattered that you feel that way about me. I've always wanted a daughter, but as you see I have two very wonderful young men." Frigga replies, smiling at the mentioning of her sons. "Thank you. For opening up to me. I can't imagine how difficult it is to go through life without a mother."

Smiling a small smile, Scarlett looks up at the significantly taller queen. Hearing the bathroom door open, the fighter and the mother both turn to see the two princes of Asgard walking towards them on the balcony.

"You apologize and make up?" Frigga asks, a motherly tone in her voice.

"Yes. Lady Scarlett, I apologize for any actions or words I may have said or done to cause you any pain or trouble. It was not my intentions and I have no desire to cause you any harm. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Prince Thor of Asgard, the oldest son of the mighty king Odin and her grace Queen Frigga." Thor bellows in a deep voice, bowing at the hips slightly towards the petite brunette.

"You have caused me no insult. And it's very nice to meet you, Thor. You can call me just 'Scarlett'." The street fighter replies, curtseying slightly in Loki's shirt.

"Now that the waters have settled, let's go to breakfast. I'm sure you're famished my dear." Frigga announces, taking Scarlett's arm and pulling her towards the Shoji. "I'll have the maids bring you some proper attire. For now though, you may wear one of my old dresses." The queen continues, tossing a dress over the top of the barrier. "Boys, go on down and tell father and the others we'll be there shortly." Frigga instructs, hurrying the two males out of the room.

Removing Loki's shirt, Scarlett slips easily into the dress Frigga tossed over. Having much less strings, laces, and hooks the street racer finds the dress more comfortable and more practical. Walking out behind the Shoji, Frigga walks to the brunette's side, helping her tie the few stays the dress has. Turning around Scarlett catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The dress was a light pink, with a dark pink around the chest area. It was made from a fine silk and had quarter length sleeves, which opened and at her elbows, curtaining her arms in a light pink silk fabric. The neckline was a light simple scope, with light pink silk lacing it. The skirt touched the floor, and there was light pink silk decorating the ends. The queen took a pink ribbon and tied the brunette's wavy locks in a low ponytail, allowing some of her bangs to shape her face.

"Come now, don't want to keep the rest of them waiting." Frigga says cheerfully, eyes sparkling at the way the dress hugs the fighter's body, highlighting her muscles and chest in subtle ways.

Following the queen through the doors, the two walking down the same hallways as before, passing the pictures, art, and decorations Scarlett noticed the night before when Loki had carried her. Blushing at the memory of being in Loki's arm, Scarlett quickens her pace to match the queen's, arriving at the dinning room in a short time.

* * *

Walking into the room, Scarlett instantly notices all eyes on her. The three warriors from the night before and Sif are present, much to the fighter's dislike. Odin, Thor, and Loki are gathered near the head of the table, the last looking at her fondly with emerald orbs.

"Glad you made it. Come let's eat." Odin says, smiling at the brunette and pulling her chair out himself.

Sitting down gently, Scarlett thanks the king, before locking eyes on Loki, now sitting on her left, taking the curly red-hair man's seat. The red-beard man notices, but doesn't object, instead taking a seat next to Loki and beginning to converse with his two companions.

"Scarlett I don't believe you've met the Warrior's Three or Sif properly." Frigga says, looking toward the end of the table where the four said warriors slow their eating. "Allow me to introduce you. The girl, as you know, is Sif. The blonde hair male to Sif's right is Fandral, the red-bearded one is Volstagg, and the dark hair male next to him is Hogun."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Scarlett." Fandral says politely, giving Scarlett a flirtatious smirk.

Noticing it right away, the dark hair prince sends the blonde warrior a glare, making the blonde male look away uncomfortable.

"Lady Scarlett, what are some of your favorite pass times?" Fandral asks, ignoring the tension between the prince and Fandral, believing his companion asked for it when flirting with the guest.

"I like to fix cars. I also enjoy music, and dancing." Scarlett replies, smiling at the large redhead male.

"Music? What kind?" Hogun asks, speaking towards the brunette for the first time, his expression passive.

"All kinds. Mostly country, rock n roll, hip-hop and rap." Scarlett replies, happy to be discussing a friendly subject.

"I've never heard any of those music before. What are they like?" Sif asks, genuinely curious.

"They're all different. Country is a lot of acoustic guitar with some violins and banjos. Rock n Roll is heavy with electric guitar and drums. Hip-hop is very technical music sound. And rap is mostly a beat with the person speaking or rapping the words." Scarlett replies, trying to describe the music as best as she could.

"They sound fascinating." Hogun says, curious about Midgardian culture.

"Volstagg! Manors!" Fandral scolds the large bearded male.

_Apparently not everyone as manors like Loki._ Scarlett thinks, looking at Volstagg with masked eyes.

Noticing the brunette hiding her disgust, quite well for a mortal, Loki decides to relieve his guest of the conversation.

"Finished?" Loki asks, looking at Scarlett's brown-green eyes.

"Yes, thank you." The brunette replies, placing her utensils across her plate appropriately.

"C'mon. I want to give you the grand tour." Loki says, taking her hand and leading her from the room.

The calls of good-byes and farewells could be heard until the golden door shut behind the couple, Loki greatly relieved that Volstagg made an excuse to leave without seeming rude.

"I've shown you the ballroom, the grand balcony, and my room. Where else would you like to visit?" Loki asks, genuinely interested in the girl's response.

"I don't mind. Anywhere that you want to show me." Scarlett replies, looking at the pictures and decorum around the hall.

"I have just the place." Loki says, keeping a firm grip on their intertwined fingers as he speed walks through the palace.

* * *

After many twists, turns, and detours around the grand palace, the two finally end up in front of a large door, sealed by reinforced iron of some kind with two guards on either side. Giving the guards a look, the two entered the room. Inside there were many relics, artifacts, and weapons. Some appeared to be as old as Earth itself, while others looked more recent.

"This is where Odin stores all his trophies from battles." Loki explains, watching as the fighter takes it all in.

There are many objects in the room, most unfamiliar to the New Yorker. One in particular catches the street fighters eyes, however. At the end of the room, displayed like the rest, its blue glow illuminates its corner, drawing the hazel eyes of the Midgardian. Following her stare, Loki sees her fascination.

"That's the Casket of Ancient Winters. It belonged to Laufey. It was the source of Jotunheim's power at one point, during their glory days. After their loss to Odin, before I was born, Odin took the relic. He keeps it here, locked up." Loki explains, watching as the racer is drawn towards it.

"What does it do?"

"I'm not sure. Its powers are very extensive. Some claim it can freeze the entire nine realms." Loki replies, watching as she circles the blue casket.

"It's very beautiful." Scarlett says quietly.

"It's the source for a race of monsters. It's not _that_ beautiful." Loki emphasis, a bitter tone in his voice at the mentioning of Jotunheim.

"What's wrong with Jotunheim? Other than the obvious?" Scarlett asks, her head looking towards Loki.

"They're uncivilized creatures with no morals or feelings. They kill for fun, and their hideous exterior only adds to their vile nature. On Asgard, most children are told of their heinous stories to scare them." Loki elaborates, venom in his tone.

"Didn't you ever learn to not judge a book by their cover? And you can't judge an individual by the whole?" Scarlett counters, not appreciating Loki's comments. "I know I was kidnapped by them, but there could still be good in them. You don't know what people are capable of."

"They're not 'people' they're monsters." Loki growls back, staring at the Casket instead of the brunette. "They're an abomination to the nine realms."

"Not everything is black and white Loki. Remember, we see the world in color." Scarlett counters, walking towards the door, effectively ending the conversation.

Realizing he may have over-reacted, the prince hurries after the fighter's fleeting form. Standing outside the doors, Loki spies Scarlett's brown hair turning a corner, heading towards the training room. Running to catch up with her quick-pace, Loki opens the door to the courtyard, also serving as a sparing room during warm days, spying her conversing with Lady Sif. Growling at the two, Loki waits by Thor, ignoring his brother's "hello" and waiting till Scarlett would look at him once more.

Ignoring Loki was harder than the brunette initially thought. Feeling his intense eyes on her throughout her conversation with Sif, Scarlett did her best to crush the feelings piling up in her stomach.

"You want to spar?" Sif asks, the only words the brunette catches out of Sif's entire explanation of the space she currently stands.

"Sure." Scarlett replies, walking with Sif towards the changing area to rid her of the dress.

"Put this on. It's a material that will allow full body movements while protecting your vital organs." Sif explains, helping the brunette out of the dress.

* * *

Stepping back out from behind the changing quarters, the American wears simplified traditional Asgardian fighting clothes. The top is a gold shirt, made of light armor material, Scarlett assumes can only be forged on Asgard, the pants are leather, tight fitting around the hips and thighs, but loosen below the knee slightly. She opts for bare feet, finding the Asgardian shoes uncomfortable, and her low ponytail is replaced with a single French braid.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Most women don't fight. Sif is just the exception." Volstagg asks, finishing off some sort of food item.

"Damn right I'm sure." Scarlett retorts, earning a few snickers from the two other warriors.

"Very well then. You're funeral." Volstagg says, standing up and preparing himself to fight.

"What do you think you're doing?" Thor asks, concern in his features for the Midgardian.

"I'm going to accept her challenge." Volstagg replies, removing his heavy-duty armor, weapons, and shoes.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Thor says, motioning towards the mortal's small size.

"You know I can hear you right?" Scarlett snaps, crossing her arms and mentally preparing her strategy.

"I'll go easy." Volstagg assures Thor and Loki, who's standing close to the red-bearded male, a death glare written on his face.

The two opponents walk towards the center of the sparing area, each beginning to move in a slow circle. Focusing on her breathing and technique, Scarlett waits for Volstagg to attack first. Knowing her center of gravity is much lower than his; Scarlett easily ducks underneath the red-haired giant, rolling onto her back and kicking him in the lower back, sending him flying face first into the ground. Standing up quickly, Scarlett takes a defensive stance, watching Volstagg stand up slow, surprise written on his chubby cheeks.

Taking time to watch her opponent's movements, Scarlett waits until he attacks once more, this time coming forward with a series of punches, attempting to intimidate her. Unwavering in her stance, the brunette easily blocks his advances, successfully landing a few hard blows herself to his side, torso, and kidney area. Reeling in pain from her blows, Volstagg backs away, catching his breath. Not waiting for him to recover, Scarlett goes on the offensive, throwing three powerful punches at the bearded man's shoulder, torso, and upper thigh, forcing him to make large uncontrollable motions to block her precise hits. Hitting his thigh, Volstagg falls slightly, his balance wavering as pain shoots up his leg. Not waiting, Scarlett sends a roundhouse kick to his backside, successfully landing him on his face, winning the challenge.

"You just got beat by a girl. And not any girl, a human girl." Fandral teases, watching the brunette help Volstagg to his feet and over to the bench, addressing his wounds carefully.

"Shut up or I'll deck you." Scarlett snaps at Fandral, already annoyed by his earlier attempts to flirt.

Shutting his mouth, Fandral looks away, keeping his distance from the brunette, clearly stronger than she looks.

"Does this hurt?" Scarlett asks, in a nicer tone towards Volstagg, pressing down lightly on the thigh she kicked.

Wincing in pain, Volstagg nods, biting his tongue to not yell in pain.

"On a scale of one to ten, ten being painful and one being not, how much does this hurt?" The brunette continues to ask, pushing against his kidney area. This time, the redhead screamed, clearly in pain. "You're going to need to ice the sensitive areas. Apply some pain relieving cream if you have any. Try not to put too much pressure on them. Don't cry. You're going to be fine. Just a few bruises." The brunette reassures the pained warrior.

"Thanks. Where did you learn all that?" Volstagg asks, watching as the street racers taps a few ice pack things to his bruises.

"Experience." Is the only answer he receives.

Finished bandaging Volstagg, Scarlett turns to Fandral, cowering behind Hogun a little.

"Are we hiding, or are we fighting?" The fighter asks the blonde, raising an eyebrow at his childish behavior.

"You know. I would, but I don't hit women." Fandral replies, trying to think of a way to make it up to the offended brunette.

"Really? My bad, I must have mistaken you for a man." Scarlett replies, faking shock and sorrow.

Hearing the challenge in her words, Fandral begins to undo his armor, walking towards the center of the mat, face red with anger.

"Let's do it." Was his only reply, before angrily charging at the brunette.

Attempting to catch her guard, Fandral didn't have enough time to react to Scarlett dropping to the floor, extending her leg to trip the enraged blonde. Falling face first, but catching himself on his wrists, Fandral turns to Scarlett with rage, Volstagg and Hogun's cries of laughter not helping. Standing up once more, Fandral walks towards the brunette, throwing kicks and punches at her. Deflecting all the punches easily, Scarlett lands an easy left hook to the blonde's face, knocking him to the ground.

* * *

Sitting up slowly, Fandral feels the blood dripping down his face. Reaching up to his cheek, his fingers are covered in the crimson color staining his pale fingertips. Looking up at the brunette, blocking the sunrays from his eyes, Fandral's jaw drops at her. Ignoring his stunned expression, Scarlett reaches her hand down and assists the blonde to his feet.

"Let's get one thing clear, don't flirt with me, say snarky masculine comments, or insult me, and I won't knock your lights out. Got it?" Scarlett says in a hard voice, giving the blonde mustached male a firm look, making him eagerly nod his head. "Good, go sit down. You're going to need a cloth or something."

Doing as she instructed, Fandral sat beside Volstagg, accepting the white towel the brunette handed him.

"Hogun?" Scarlett asks, turning towards the dark haired warrior.

Bowing his head, Hogun raises his hands in submissiveness. "I have a date tomorrow night for the ball, I don't need to end up like those two." The polite male replies, bowing respectfully to the brunette, who accepts his excuse.

Watching the entire time quietly beside Thor, Sif walks forward, weapons gone. "I'll take you on."

Turning to face the tall black hair woman, Scarlett smirks at the warrior woman's boldness. "You're on."

Walking towards the center of the mat once more, Sif and Scarlett began to circle each other slowly, like to felines waiting for the other to mess up. Knowing the offense is a dangerous position; Sif opts for the defense, hoping to bring the brunette out of her comfort zone.

Figuring out Sif's plan from the start, Scarlett decides to let the dark haired woman have her way. Attacking first, Scarlett sends four strong attacks towards the warrior, forcing her to block her face from the assault. Waiting until her final blow, Sif uncovers her face, only to find Scarlett's leg flying towards her face, knocking into her upper back and sending her flying to the floor. Easily gaining the upper hand, the brunette places Sif in a tight hold, locking her thighs around the warrior's head, and using her hands to hold her arms in a painful position.

Panicked momentarily, Sif instantly tries to break the hold, only to feel a sharp pain in both arms as Scarlett's grip tightens. Trying a different tactic, the same result follows.

"Tap out, Sif." Scarlett urges, not tightening her hold, but not loosening it either.

"What does that mean?" The warrior chokes out, holding back tears of pain.

"It means you give." Scarlett answers, tightening her thighs, causing Sif to cry out from a lack of oxygen.

"Never." Sif says, breathing heavily from the position.

"You don't tap out, I don't let go. I can stay this way forever if need be." Scarlett challenges back, tightening her thighs hold on her captive.

On the verge of unconsciousness, Sif begins tapping furiously against the grass surface, air instantly refilling her lungs. Coughing and breathing heavily for a few seconds, Sif glares at the brunette, who easily rolls backwards, away from the recovering warrior.

Sitting on her hind legs, Scarlett stands and helps the beaten warrior to her feet. Shaking hands in an understanding, Sif smiles lightly at the brunette, realizing she misjudged the girl from the beginning.

"Allow me to apologize, miss. I was harsh, judgmental, and rude to you. I assumed you were nothing more than an airhead who wanted to play princess for a day. I realize now you are a warrior, and a worthy opponent. You have my deepest respects." Sif proclaims, accepting defeat with her head high.

Smiling back at the dark hair woman, Scarlett feels a weight lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you. I also have to admit I've been trying to prove to you that I'm not an 'airhead who wants to play princess'." Scarlett replies, laughing with Sif at their new inside joke.

Appalled at the match laid just before their eyes, the five males watch on as the two women leave the training area, walking back towards the women's bathrooms to shower and change.

"I'm just going to say, don't piss her off." Fandral says out loud, directly mostly to Loki, who hasn't spoken once since his arrival.

Instead of dignifying that with a response, Loki merely punches Fandral hard in his shoulder, making the already bruised warrior wince in pain. Tolerating Loki's answer and knowing he agitated the prince, Fandral accepts the prince's punch with grace, grunting with pain at the contact. Although not as strong as Thor, Loki could easily hold his own in a fight. Something all the warriors, including Thor, Frigga, and Odin forget.

**What do you think? Finally see Scarlett's fighting skills in action! I figure, even though the warriors have more experience and strength than Scarlett, she's got more techniques, lower center of gravity, and is able to out wit their brute strength. Remember, she's not exactly a 'mortal' as they all assume. She is the element of water and…. maybe something else? Thanks to all the reviewers, favoriters, followers, and readers! I can't say how much it means to mean! Any suggestions, criticism, comments, questions, or concerns about this story or my others is greatly appreciated! Thanks! Who-Dat out! **


	5. Chapter 5

Walking out the Asgardian version of a shower, the brunette begins to dry her hair with a towel, finding the pink dress she was formerly wearing lying across one of the benches. Changing into it, Scarlett attempts to tie the back by herself, ignoring the terrible job she did. Turning around from the mirror Scarlett finds Sif walking out from behind one of the curtains, black hair damp and pulled back, wearing a silver dress with matching armor.

"I must go and assist the queen for tomorrow's ball." Sif says politely, leaving the brunette alone.

Walking outside of the woman's bathroom, Scarlett finds herself back in the open courtyard, a patient god of mischief sitting on a bench reading. Looking up at the brown-eye girl, Loki's book magically disappears, as the god rises to meet her.

"Hey, I didn't realize you'd still be here." Scarlett says quietly, meeting the prince halfway.

"Well I can't have my guest running around the palace alone, can I?" Loki replies, smiling at the petite brunette.

Nodding in response, Scarlett looks away from his warm gaze, feeling her cheeks flush.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so harsh with you earlier." Loki apologizes, mentioning their earlier disagreement.

"I'm sorry too. You are entitled to your opinion. Clearly there's a history between Asgard and Jotunheim that's none of my business." Scarlett apologies too, looking up at the tall god with an apologetic face.

"I really am sorry. I should've been more considerate of your feelings." Loki says, looking genuinely sorry.

"It's fine. You were quick to judge, it's natural. Not everyone knows what monsters are like unless you've had to live with one. Or become one." Scarlett replies, looking away at Loki towards the endless sky. "My father, Dom, nearly beat a man to death with a socket wrench. Many people think he's too dangerous to raise me, but they don't know I killed that girl in the ring."

Staying quiet, Loki allows the brunette to voice her troubles.

"Dom only beat the guy because he killed his mother. He just wanted to avenge his mom. I, on the other hand, killed the girl for no reason. I guess you can say you stop fearing monsters when you become one." Scarlett quotes, knowing Loki won't understand the quote.

"You're not a monster. You were just trying to survive." Loki argues, taking the brunette's tan hands and holding them close to his face, pulling her closer. "There's a difference between a heartless monster and a girl trying to survive."

"Thank you. Forgive and move on?" Scarlett asks, ending the subject quickly.

Nodding in response, Loki kisses the fighter's knuckles once more. "Come on, I have a place I want to show you."

Following the god's lead, Loki leads the brunette out of the sparing area through a large gate, walking further from the palace. Turning corners of what appears to be a maze, the couple end up in front of another gate, with roses and various flowers growing around it's opening.

"This is the royal garden. Mother particularly likes to spend time here, but today she'll probably be inside preparing for the ball." Loki says, pushing the gate open and leading the brunette inside.

Passing the gate, Scarlett takes in her surroundings. The walls are made of some green plant, allowing flowers, trees, fruits, and other unknown species to grow in the walls. There's a large peach tree in the center, the peaches not yet ripped. There's an apple orchid to the right, through an arch with a sign naming it, and the left has a pear grove. Straight ahead, past the single peach tree, there's a large opening with a sign reading "orchid yard". A few benches litter the area, place strategically for the most shade.

"Wow, this place is beautiful." Scarlett praises, smelling a white rose close by.

"I thought you might like it. It was a wedding present to my mother from father." Loki explains, taking her hand and leading her to the orchids.

"This was a wedding present? When my folks got married my dad and mom got matching tattoos." Scarlett replies, looking at the various orchid flowers, some native to Earth.

"Tattoos?" Loki asks, not understanding the word or object.

"Tattoos, you know inked." Scarlett replies, looking at him.

Giving her a confused look, the fighter giggles slightly at Loki's expression.

"You don't have tattoos on Asgard? They're a big deal on Earth. Everyone seems to have 'em and they've been around forever." Scarlett explains, walking through another arch, entering into another large courtyard with a water fountain.

"No. Asgardians like clean skin." Loki replies, still not understanding the 'tattoo' concept.

Nodding her head slowly at his words, Scarlett is drawn towards the fountain. Noticing her sudden disinterest in their conversation, Loki's eyes follow the brunette's, looking at the fountain.

"That's the Fountain of Frigga." Loki says, walking towards the fountain to sit on its edge.

"It's beautiful." Scarlett whispers, walking towards it, lightly placing her hand in the water.

"Loki, there you are! I've been looking for you. Father wants to speak with you and Thor before the ball tomorrow night." Frigga's voice calls, walking towards the couple from one of the arches.

"Why now?" Loki asks, looking at his mother in annoyance.

"Because Odin will leave soon. He has a meeting with Heimdall and the consul." Frigga replies, ignoring her youngest son's annoyed tone.

Sighing, Loki stands, taking Scarlett's hand in his. "I'm sorry. Duty calls." Loki says quietly towards the brunette, looking her directly in the eye.

"I understand. I'll be waiting for you when you get back." Scarlett replies, moving some hair out of the prince's face, giving him a lovely smile.

Kissing her hands, Loki prepares to leave, giving his mother one last look, pleading to get out of his duties.

"I'm sorry son, Odin insists that you talk." Frigga apologies, seeing the loving look Loki and Scarlett share.

"Go. I'm sure it's important." Scarlett says, stretching some and standing on her tiptoes to kiss Loki's cheek.

Sighing as her lips touch his cool skin, Loki looks into her eyes, not wanting to leave her company now. Regrettably, Loki leaves the two women, walking towards the palace with a quick stride.

* * *

After Loki left, Scarlett converses with Frigga slightly, before deciding to tour the palace herself. Making her way through the bustling halls, Scarlett finds a quiet place to rest, opening a large double door and entering the room. Inside, there's a large fireplace basking the room in an orangey glow, there're also several candles lit. Walking towards the drawn curtains, the brunette opens the light blockers, allowing the sun to shine through and bask the room in brightness.

Turning around, Scarlett looks at the room, fully lit. To her surprise it's a library, a very well decorated and well-stocked library at that. Walking towards the closest shelf, the brunette picks the first book, reading the title. Unable to read the print, the brown-eye girl places the book back in its original place, searching the various covers for something readable. Eyes landing on a book with a dark green binding and gold print, suddenly the gold writing glowed, temporarily blinding the brunette. Turning away then looking back, Scarlett finds she's able to read the print. Grabbing the book, the fighter sits in the large chair near the fireplace, allowing the warming embers to brighten the pages.

Beginning to read, the brunette finds the book to be very interesting. Starting with the Nine Realms and each Realms' history, the hardback then goes into Mount Olympus.

"_When the Lord Hades of the underworld and oldest son of Zeus, married the Grand Duchess Athena, daughter of King Poseidon, Mount Olympus celebrated with their union. After centuries of building their armies of Titans, Centaurs, fairies, nymphs, Olympians, and heroes the people of Olympus would finally have their chance of glory. When the new queen gave birth to a healthy baby boy, the Olympian's rejoiced and their dreams of becoming rulers of the Nine Realms seemed to be nearly complete. But when a threat began to rise, the gods of Mount Olympus saw the potential to lose everything they worked for. The potential threat was a baby, a baby girl, a baby girl with enough power to prevent the power hungry gods from dominating the Realms. Instead of killing the threat, Athena insisted on saving the girl's life. Agreeing to his new bride's terms, Hades allowed the girl to live, protecting the growing girl. During the first trimester, the mother of the unborn threat nearly died. Keeping up with Athena's wishes, Hades and the other gods prevented the mother from dying. The only catch, the baby was given gifts by the gods, making the girl an adopted princess of Olympus."_

* * *

Finished with his royal duties, Loki makes his way through the palace, hoping to find the feisty fighter. After asking Sif, Thor, and his mother where she could possible be, Loki settles with using his magic, sensing her location in his library. Walking into the grand library, Loki notices the curtains are open, allowing the sun to shine through. Scanning the room quickly, the prince's green eyes fall on the sleeping form of the brunette beauty. Taking long strides to reach her, Loki kneels before her, noticing she's curled up in the large chair, her legs underneath her. Watching her sleep, Loki notices how relaxed her face appears, like there's not a worry in the world. Sadly Loki knows that's not true. The sleeping beauty before him as seen much wickedness in the world, more then she should and god of mischief fears she'll see more. Glancing down, Loki notices the dark green book, the history of the Nine Realms resting in her lap. Temporarily ignoring the ancient book, the prince gentle lifts the sleeping fighter from the chair, using his magic to transport the book to his room. As the mischievous prince leaves the library, the curtains magically close by themselves, turning the room back to its original state.

* * *

Waking up, Scarlett eyes fall upon a dark haired god sleeping in a tall chair near the bed. Leaning up slowly, the fighter notices she's no longer in the enormous library, but back in Loki's room, with the prince sleeping in a chair near by. Walking silently towards the sleeping god, Scarlett crouches before him, moving some straw hairs from his face. Instantly, the prince awakens, only lightly sleeping. Smiling at their closeness and the brunette's surprise, Loki leans forward slightly and kisses the fighter's forehead, enjoying the way she relaxes as his lips touch her.

"How long have I been asleep?" The brunette asks, breaking their tender moment to look him in the eye.

"Not long. I found you in my library." Loki replies, standing up and stretching his stiff muscles.

"I'm sorry. Was I not supposed to go there?" Scarlett asks, standing up. Detecting Loki's change of tone.

"No. It's fine. It's just usually no one goes there but me. I was surprised is all." The god responds, quickly ending the brunette's worry.

Nodding in response, Scarlett walks towards the balcony, noticing all the decorations now hanging around the palace.

"Your decorators work quick." The street fighter notes, watching as servants continue to hang lights.

"Yes, well the Princes' Ball is an extravagant occasion. Every year princesses, duchesses, and ladies from all around the realms come and try to seduce Thor and me." Loki states, walking behind the brunette, trapping her between his body and the railing.

"Princesses actually try to seduce you?" Scarlett asks, turning slightly to face the god of lies.

"Yes. Actually last year one was very close to having Thor fall in love with her. But then she insulted him, and she has not bothered to make contact since." Loki says, smirking smugly at the petite brunette's reaction.

"Well I hope you don't expect me to swoon at your riches and royalty." Scarlett mutters, looking back at the decorators.

"Of course not. You're independent, strong, feisty. I like that in a woman." Loki replies, coming closer to the brown eye girl to breathe in her ear.

Surpassing a shiver, Scarlett turns towards Loki, all playfulness gone. "You like me?" The fighter asks, dismay in her voice.

"Yes, quite a lot actually." Loki replies quietly, embarrassingly looking down.

"Even after everything I told you?" the brunette continues to question, stepping closer to the god so their chests barely touched.

"Yes. In fact I find you even more attractive and alluring because of your history." Loki admits honestly, not sure why he's so shy at the moment.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Scarlett asks, taking the god's chin in her hands to force him to make eye contact.

The fighter's brown eyes met the prince's green eyes, and for a second Loki sees the fear lying beneath her orbs. Knowing he can't screw it up now, Loki lays it all on the line.

"I will take you dancing tomorrow night. I will dance and look at no other girl but you, and I shall swing, twirl, and lift you around the ballroom till you fall from exhaustion. Then I shall make you mine. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day I will make you my bride, and I will give you the world." Loki confesses, surprising the Gambino girl with his promise.

Smiling a genuine smile at the prince before her, Scarlett's heart overfills with joy at his words. Not realizing before, the brunette releases a deep breath she was holding, finally pulling the god's face towards her, crashing her lips against his.

Caught off guard at first by her sudden action, Loki instinctively wraps his arms tighter around the fighter's slim waist, pulling her even closer and deepening the kiss.

A thousand emotions begin to run through the brunette's mind. The feeling of Loki's cool lips, his soft touch around her waist, his dominating kisses that's leaves her breathless when they pull apart, desperately needing oxygen.

Pulling back, Loki examines the girl before him, watching as she leans into his chest, resting her head against his heart. Sighing with happiness, the brunette begins to draw random figures on Loki's clothed chest, enjoying the way the prince holds her.

"What happens after tomorrow?" Scarlett asks, breaking the pleasant silence.

"What do you mean?" Loki asks, stroking the brunette's flowing hair softly.

"I can't stay here forever, Loki. I have to go home. Dom's probably worried sick, Mia's probably a wreck, and I can't even imagine what the rest of the crew is like." Scarlett clarifies; bringing to light an issue neither really wants to deal with.

"Whatever happens, we do it together. We'll figure it out, together. And I'm not letting you go." Loki replies, tightening his hold on her for emphasis.

Smiling at his protectiveness, Scarlett looks up at the prince, her chin resting on his chest. "Did I mention you're adorable when you're being possessive." The brunette says in her husky voice, making the god smirk at her.

Instead of replying to the brunette's words, the prince merely leans forward, capturing her lips in his own. Reaching up, Scarlett puts one of her hands behind Loki's neck, fingers playing with his black tresses. Smiling into the kiss at the fighter's actions, Loki brings one arm to tighten around her waist, pressing her closer to him, and his second arm to tangle in her own brunette locks, loving the way the soft hairs feel through his fingers.

Pausing the kiss once more for oxygen, the fighter's stomach begins to growl, signaling the two they've missed lunch. Laughing heartily at the petite girl's appetite, the prince uses his magic to transport them to the royal kitchen.

* * *

A flash a white, and a whirl of magic the two end up in the middle of the royal kitchen, the brunette holding on to Loki with a tight grip, not expecting the sudden change and not feeling too well about it either.

Surprised by the prince's sudden appearance, the cooks begin to lay out their best foods. The head chief instantly approaches the prince, bowing respectfully before the two.

"Your highness, we were not expecting your company. How may we serve the prince of Asgard?" The chief asks, nodding appropriately towards Scarlett, realizing she is a woman of high class if she is in the prince's company.

"My guest is hungry." Loki says simply, gesturing towards Scarlett, who begins to admire and look at the various foods being displayed before them.

"Ah, the lady is hungry! Let her choose and fill herself up with any of our gourmet foods." The chief announces to his staff, the entire room bustling about setting up a table, chair, silverware, and all the necessary eating utensils.

"Sit, let them serve you like the queen I will make you." Loki whispers in the fighter's ear, loving the way she shivers at his breath.

Sitting down, the fighter allows the servants to place different foods on the table. Starting with dessert, the brunette begins to taste and eat all the foods offered. Pleased with the treatment the brunette is receiving, Loki summons a chair for himself besides the brunette, watching her devour some seafood.

"You like?" the chief, Remy, asks, looking for appraisal from the beautiful girl.

"Yes, it's all delicious." The brunette responds, pleasing the chief and the staff by her reactions to the delicious foods served to her.

Eating her fair share of food, the brunette whips her mouth with her napkin and leans back against the chair, sighing in satisfaction.

"I'm full. Thank you for the delicious meal." Scarlett thanks Remy and the staff, watching them nod and clear the table without a word. Looking towards the prince, who hasn't taken her eyes off of her. "What now?"

"We could return to my room and finish what we started." Loki offers, enjoying the blush creeping on the brunette's face. "Or I could show you the city of Asgard."

Perking up at the second offer, Scarlett's eyes shine with childish excitement. "I want to see the city." the brunette replies.

Smiling at her giddy expression, the prince kisses her hand, leading her out of the kitchen. "Follow me."

* * *

For the remainder of the day and well into the evening, the two tour Asgard like common folk. Choosing for his casual attire, Loki doesn't adorn his regular armor and cape, deciding to be more discreet. Through the entire tour, Scarlett takes in the entire city before her. Talking to the citizens, buying their products, and even petting some animals, the brunette's smile never leaves her face.

"Loki look!" The brunette exclaims, pointing towards a shop full of baby animals.

The prince smiles at the girl's enthusiasm, watching as she runs towards the shop to pet the baby creatures.

Leaning forward in one of the pens, the fighter begins to pet the puppies in the pins, taking particular interest in a black and brown dog with bright yellow eyes.

"You like?" The shop woman asks, smiling at the brunette's enthusiasm.

"Yes, they're all adorable!" Scarlett replies, letting the black dog lick her fingertips.

"You may hold if you like." The woman says, noticing the dog standing up on its hind legs, asking to be held.

Smiling an even brighter smile, the fighter easily lifts the puppy out of the pin, letting it lick her cheeks.

"He's adorable." Scarlett proclaims, cradling the puppy baby-style, rocking it back and forth.

"He five week old." The woman says, watching as the puppy begins to become drowsy.

Watching the brunette with the dog, Loki smiles at the way the dog loves her, licking her bare skin and wagging its tail furiously.

"How much?" Loki asks, making the shop woman turn to him for the first time.

"Free for prince and beautiful maiden." The woman says, instantly bowing at the prince's presence.

"No, I couldn't take him without payment." Scarlett objects, watching as the woman backs away towards the counter.

"I insist. Royals never pay in my shop." The woman says proudly, walking back with a silver collar chain and leash. "What do you name him?"

Giggling as the dog licks her neck, Scarlett sets the dog gentle down on the floor, watching as he sits protectively at her feet.

"Diesel. His name is going to be Diesel." Scarlett replies, watching as the dog sniffs Loki's lower legs, wagging his tail once he's finished.

"Diesel it is." The woman says, using some magic to write on the silver rectangular piece in the middle of the collar. Walking towards the couple, the woman hands the brunette the collar, allowing the fighter to secure it around the dog's neck. "The collar will grow with him."

Nodding at the woman's words, Scarlett whistles for Diesel to follow, surprised when the dog obeys immediately.

"Good boy D." Scarlett praises the dog, picking him up again to cradle in her arms.

"We should be going. Supper is soon." Loki says towards the fighter, watching her play with the dog some more.

Nodding in response, the brunette thanks the shop woman again, leading the dog without his leash on towards the royal palace.

* * *

After much protests from Pricilla, Frigga's first lady in waiting and supervisor of staff, Scarlett finally gets Diesel inside the palace. Sniffing around the grand hall, Diesel instantly begins to check out the grand palace.

"Don't get too comfortable D. Your new crib isn't going to be nearly as nice." Scarlett warns the dog, enjoying the way he explores the palace.

Internally wincing at her words, Loki ignores the brunette's comment, motioning them both towards the dinning hall.

"Come on, we're going to be late."

* * *

**Thank you to all the readers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers! You have no idea how much it means to me! I really hope y'all are enjoying this story has much as I enjoy writing about it! Criticism, reviews, comments, suggestions, etc are greatly appreciated! Thank y'all so much! Who-Dat! **


	6. Chapter 6

If the people sitting around the table were surprised at Loki's casual attire and the puppy walking between the hand-in-hand couple they didn't voice it. Pulling out her seat, Loki allows the brunette to sit closest to Frigga on the end, letting Diesel lie down at her feet. After making sure she's situated, Loki sits himself next to the fighter, watching as Odin eyes his youngest son careful. Once the food is served, the entire table begins to make idle chatter, each enjoying the meal and each other's company.

"I haven't seen either of you two all day. May I inquire where you've been hiding?" Frigga asks, looking at her youngest son first, then towards the brunette bombshell.

"We were exploring the city." Loki replies, breaking a piece of bread and tossing it towards Diesel.

"What did you visit?" Sif asks, overhearing the queen's question and Loki response.

"We toured the market place. Asgard is so amazing. On Earth we don't have anything like it." Scarlett replies to her new friend.

"I notice you got a dog. What did you name it?" Sif asks, motioning towards the puppy lying in between the brunette and Loki.

"Diesel. We found him in a pet shop." Scarlett replies, petting Diesel.

"He's adorable." Sif compliments, continuing with her food.

"Thanks." The brunette replies, continuing eating.

The table falls silence after, no one really speaking. The quietness begins to turn awkward as the table is cleared. The dessert is spread out amongst the table, and still no one speaks. Fed up with the situation, Loki's patience finally wears thin.

"What in the Hel is going on?" the prince asks, looking directly at Odin and Thor, both ignoring him.

"What are you talking about?" Thor asks, genuinely confused.

"Father? What is going on?" Loki asks in a venomous tone, eyeing Odin angrily.

Putting down his fork, Odin whips his mouth before replying to his youngest son, clearly not comfortable with the situation.

"Are you aware we are in the presence of an element?" Odin asks, looking towards the guest.

"What are you talking about?" Loki asks, confusion in his features as he looks from Scarlett towards Odin.

"The girl." Odin says, motioning towards the brunette.

"The girl is named Scarlett, father." Loki snaps, interrupting his father.

"Right Scarlett. We're in the presence of Scarlett's element." Odin replies, nearly glaring daggers at the girl.

"An element? Of what?" Loki asks, angry by his father's tone towards the girl he loves.

"Water." Odin replies. Silencing Loki's next question and any other words he was about to say.

Staring at the fighter, the entire table turns to her in surprise. Not having told anyone, the news was a surprise to everyone at the table, except the brunette.

"When did you learn of your true origin?" Odin asks, tenderness in his voice.

"The day I was taken by Laufey's goon." Scarlett replies quietly, unconsciously rubbing her wrists where the chains had cut them.

"When did you plan on telling us?" Odin continues, tenderness fading.

"I don't know. I didn't think my powers had anything to do with my kidnapping." Scarlett replies honestly, avoiding Loki's gaze.

"You didn't think to put the two together?" The king of Asgard asks, unbelieving.

"I didn't know what to think. I haven't believed in fairytales since I was a child." The brunette shrugs, looking at the healing cuts on her wrists.

"Can you control it?" The king asks, worry seeping into his tone.

"No. I don't even know how to use it. All I know is that it's emotionally based. I was told that controlling my emotions is the key to controlling my powers. I'm already pretty good at controlling my emotions, but I don't feel my powers." Scarlett replies honestly, letting Diesel jump in her lap.

"What you're experiencing is normal. If you'd like I could hire some sorcerers to teach you." Frigga offers, smiling at the young girl.

"But that would require her to stay in Asgard. And the longer she stays in Asgard, she'll have to gain an Asgardian citizenship." Odin interjects, looking at the brunette with a stern eye. "Mortals have been forbidden in Asgard since the separation of the Nine Realms."

"I understand that. And I thank you for your offer. But I cannot stay here forever. I have a home, family, friends that I must return to." Scarlett says politely and apologetically.

Looking down at the sleeping dog in her lap, and the deep brown eyes, Loki feels his heart begin to crack slightly at the idea of the fighter's leave.

"Then it's settled. After the Princes' Ball you shall return home." Odin says, a smile coming upon his face.

"Odin! Don't be rude!" Frigga scolds her husband's manors. "You can stay here as long as you'd like. And you're _always_ welcome." The queen says towards the fighter, giving her husband a firm glare.

"Thank you. I am really grateful of everything y'all have done for me. I cannot begin to explain to you my deepest thanks and how much I am indebted to you." Scarlett says, finally looking at the green eye god.

"Its our pleasure. Never has the royal family been in the presence of a Guardian of Earth or Protector of the Nine Realms." Frigga says proudly, reaching over and hugging the fighter.

Standing up abruptly, Loki storms from the room, unable to bear another moment of the idea of Scarlett's departure. Eyes looking towards the black hair prince's exit, Scarlett quickly excuses herself from the table, following Loki retreating figure with Diesel in tow.

* * *

Tracking the prince was no easy task. Having to ask different servants, all hesitant to reveal any information to the stranger, the brunette finally located the god of lies. Walking onto the grand balcony over-looking the entire city and gardens, Scarlett easily spies Loki's tall lean figure, resting on the concrete railing. Walking quietly up behind the god, the brunette hugs the god's waist from behind, feeling him tense lightly before relaxing completely.

"What's wrong?" Scarlett asks, worry filling her tone and inhaling his unique masculine scent.

"Nothing. Why would you think something is wrong?" Loki replies, not turning to meet the beautiful fighter.

"Because you're shutting me out. Don't shut me out let me in. I want to help." Scarlett replies, walking towards his side to look at his face.

Turning his back towards her, Loki continues to stare at the city in the distance, finding comfort in the golden lights. "There's nothing you can do."

"Don't do this. Don't pull this bullshit, not after everything we've been through." Scarlett snaps, instantly becoming frustrated with the prince's broody attitude.

"How can I not be upset? You're leaving day after tomorrow. I'll never see you again!" Loki shouts, revealing his true anger and turning to face her.

"What are you talking about? Of course you'll see me again! What makes you think you won't?" Scarlett replies, shocked by his outburst.

"The Allfather. He told me once you leave you can never comeback. I'll never see you again. Mortals are forbidden in Asgard. That's not likely to change." Loki replies, calmly down slightly,

Finally understanding the situation set before her, Scarlett realizes the ultimatum she faces. "How dare you believe I don't want to stay here with you? Of course I want to stay! If I could I'd never leave!" Scarlett shouts at him, her blood beginning to boil.

"Because you're leaving! I'll never see you again and I'll never be able to care for someone as much as you!" Loki shouts back, his temper rising once more.

"Well you don't have to be a child about it! You knew I couldn't stay here forever. You knew when you rescued me I would have to return to wherever I was from! Did you honestly think because I've fallen in love with you, I'd give up my entire life?" the furious brunette yells at the prince, seeing him visible flinch.

"No, and I wouldn't want you to! That's what I love about you! You're independence, you're rebellious nature, you're attitude, you're carefree spirit. I love it all! I wouldn't want you to sacrifice a part of yourself for me!" Loki growls back at her, confessing the depths of his feelings.

"Then why are you so pissed at me? I haven't done anything! I'm still here aren't I? I haven't left yet! Don't push me away! Let me in! Let's talk about it, the future, _our_ future!" Scarlett all but screams at him, frustrated with his attitude.

"Fine, let's talk. What do you care to discuss?" Loki asks, becoming unnervingly calm.

"This. Us. This entire relationship we have. I don't want it to end simple because I'm going home." Scarlett says in a calmer voice, controlling her breathing and putting her emotions back in check.

"Neither do I but what else can we do. Tomorrow is you're last day here, and if my father gets his way, and he always gets his way, you won't be coming back." Loki says, leaning against the rail crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Then we figure out another way. I may not be able to come here, but that won't stop me from trying to find other ways to see you." Scarlett reassures the prince, walking closer to him, forcing his arms apart to step between his legs.

"How can we?" Loki asks, looking unsure for the first time since meeting the fighter.

"I don't know, but we'll figure it out. _Together_." Scarlett replies, locking eyes with him and pulling the green eye god down into a passionate kiss.

Eagerly returning her advances, Loki wraps his arms around the brunette's waist, lifting her off the ground and turning to sit her on the rail. Smiling into the kiss, the fighter allows the prince to stand between her parted legs, giggling audibly as he begins to run his figures down her sides, making her squirm.

"I didn't realize you were ticklish." The breathless god says, noting her reactions.

"I'm not usually. It's just you've got a very light touch." Scarlett defends, quickly searching for the god's ticklish spots.

The two continue their make-out session, stopping for air. Leaning against the god, Scarlett can hear the beating of his heart.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so mean to you. It's not your fault." Loki says, breaking the silence between them.

"It's ok. I'm sorry too. I should've been more conscious of your feelings." Scarlett replies, looking up at the green eyes of the man she's come to love.

"It's getting late. We should head to bed." Loki says, feeling the brunette lean heavily against him.

Lifting her gentle, Loki attempts to carry the fighter once more. Stopping his actions with a firm hand to his chest, the brown eye girl chooses to walk hand in hand with the god, Diesel walking next to the couple, towards Loki's room.

* * *

Once back in their room, Scarlett moves to take off her dress, turning her back to Loki motioning towards the poorly tied ribbons.

"You know it is considered improper in Asgard for an unmarried man to help an unmarried women undress." Loki says, lightness in his voice as he slowly unties the pink stays keeping the fighter's dress together.

"Well on Earth it's considered being chivalrous. Besides I can't get these by myself. You see what a lovely job I did tying them." Scarlett replies, joking back towards the much taller male.

"How old are you? In Earth years?" Loki asks, kissing the bare skin once the dress loosens, revealing the tan skin underneath.

"I'm sixteen." Scarlett answers, looking at Loki from the corner of her eye. "How old are you?"

"By your Midgardian standards eighteen. But Asgardians age different than mortals. I'm sure even though you're an element it won't slow your ageing." Loki says, allowing the brunette to move away from him to change. "I have a surprise for you."

"I hate surprises." Scarlett's blunt answer comes from behind the changing stand, making the prince laugh at her words.

"I assure you you'll like it." Loki replies, making the brunette peak her head out from the side of the wall.

"What is it?"

"Change and you'll see."

Doing as instructed, the fighter changes into a light blue dress that reaches her ankles. It has puffy short sleeves and a light green ribbon just below her breasts rapping around the back to form a bow.

Walking around the changing wall, Scarlett begins to untie the pink ribbon keeping her shoulder length locks back.

"What's the surprise you wanted to show me?" Scarlett asks, throwing the ribbon on a table and running her fingers through her brown hair.

"Come here." Loki calls from the balcony, holding out his hand for the brunette to take.

Accepting his extended hand, Scarlett walks outside shivering slightly at the change of temperature. Looking up at the sky, the fighter's mouth drops and her brown orbs begin to sparkle. Above the couple, covering the entire heavens are shooting stars. Falling stars really, for as far as the human eye could see, comets, meteors, and various flying objects streaked through the sky, making a spectacular show.

"It's a phenomenon that occurs every year around the Princes' Ball. The reason for the occurrence is unknown, but it's glorious to watch." Loki says, wrapping his arms around the petite teen and hugging her close, giving her the warmth he had.

"It's beautiful. There's nothing like it on earth." Scarlett replies, completely awed at the sight.

Once the last shooting star fades from the sky, fireworks begin. Shooting from the towers on the wall, the brilliant colors light up the night in various reds, greens, yellows, and blues. The bursting lights make the fighter smile with joy. Smiling down at the content girl in his arms, Loki watches the firework show, signaling the start of the Princes' Ball, a festival that will stretch for two days.

"The fireworks mean it's midnight. The Princes' Ball is today." Loki says, kissing the junction at Scarlett's shoulder and neck.

"They're breathtaking." Scarlett compliments, ignoring the god's actions and focusing solely on the show.

After the firework show there is a loud sound of applause and cheering. Looking down at the courtyard, Scarlett can clearly see some guests cheering at the show, and plenty of well dressed young ladies smiling and flirting with Thor and the warriors three.

"Tomorrow, after the ball, there's going to be a lantern festival. Every year, Thor and I are given lanterns to light, a sign of a bright future ahead of us." Loki says, making the fighter turn her attention towards Loki. "There's a special lantern. It's only lit when a royal family member falls in love. It's called a 'Unity Lantern', it means that a prince has chosen a bride and there will be a new future in store for Asgard."

Looking confused at the prince, Scarlett's eyebrows scrunch together, unsure of the god's implications.

"This year, I want to light a Unity Lantern, with you. It will signal my choosing of a bride and means you will be a member of the royal family, officially protected by Asgard." Loki answers the brunette's unsaid question.

"I'd be honored." Scarlett says quietly, showing off her pearly whites for the god to see.

Leading the way inside, Loki lets the street girl prepare for bed, changing his own clothes and waiting for her to finish in the bathroom. Once she's finished, Loki takes his own turn in the large marble powder room. Walking back out towards the bedroom area, Loki leans against the fireplace, watching the brunette sleep. Her dark chocolate locks form a halo around her head, and her closed eyes flutter slightly in her dreams. Smiling a genuine smile, Loki joins the fighter in bed, noticing her shift closer to him. Using his magic, Loki turns off the lights, falling the beautiful brunette and future bride into slumber.

* * *

The morning came far too soon for Scarlett's liking. The golden rays of sunshine brighten the gold and green bedroom, making for a rude awakening. Rolling over on the bed, the brunette buries her head deeper in the god of mischief's bare chest, taking a deep breath of his unique scent.

Feeling the brown eye girl bury her head in his chest, Loki smiles at the sight, noticing the way she fits herself easily against him. Ignoring the sunrays himself, Loki pulls the fighter closer, resting his chin on top of her silky hair.

"You know we're going to have to get up soon." Loki says, knowing the tan girl is awake.

"Five more minutes." Scarlett mumbles against his pale skin, tickling the god with her breath.

"How about five seconds." Loki counters, playfully rolling on top of the brunette, causing her to grunt in mock discomfort.

"How bout you get off me and you keep your balls?" the brunette threatens, giving Loki her best threatening look in her current position.

"Oh someone's in a feisty mood." The prince replies playfully, beginning to kiss the brunette's face.

"Loki stop! I want to sleep." The fighter squeals playfully, slapping the god's back lightly, but enough to sting slightly.

"Ouch, ouch! Ok I'm sorry! Remind me not to wake you up early." Loki laughs, attempting to stop the street girl's attacks.

Opening the door, Thor, queen Frigga, Sif, and a small army of servants burst through the door, Sif and the servants turning away from the shirtless prince and the street fighter.

"I see you two are up early." Frigga greets the couple with a smile, motioning for the servants to lay the possessions they carry towards the bathroom.

"Yeah sorry your highness, your son can be a royal pain." Scarlett jokes, flashing Loki a breathtaking smile that leaves him speechless.

"He's extremely ticklish if you know where the right places are." Thor says, receiving a glare from Loki and a laugh from the fighter.

"Thanks Thor, you gotta show me some time." The brunette says, kissing Loki's cheek before leaving the bed.

"What's going on?" Loki asks, also leaving the warm sheets.

"Sif and I are going to get Scarlett ready for the ball. You and Thor are going to get prepared yourself. The ball starts in six hours." Frigga says, motioning towards the door to leave. "There are servants in Thor's quarters for both of you."

"Do I have to?" Loki whines, earning a smack from the street fighter.

"Listen to your mom. Besides you're not staying here if I'm changing." Scarlett scolds, winking towards the green eye god and walking towards Sif.

"Fine, but I get the bathroom first. Thor always trashes it." Loki grumbles, following Thor out the room, giving the brunette a sweet kiss on the cheek before leaving.

Finally out of the room, the queen orders the servants to make the bed and prepare the room.

"I hope you're prepared for what's coming. The queen is quite thorough in her preparations." Sif warns the brunette.

"How thorough?"

"Thorough enough that six hours may not cut it." Sif says, laughing at the brunette's worried face.

"Well then I guess we should get started."

* * *

**Thank you to all my readers, followers, favoriters, and reviewers! It's all because of you I continue to write! Happy (late) Thanksgiving! Reviews, questions, comments, and critiques are greatly accepted! I'll also take any suggestions on future chapters, characters, or anything else y'all would want to see! I'll try to incorporate it, but know I have a storyline all thought out so it may have to wait till a sequel (sequel made by the fans?)! Thanks so much!**


	7. Chapter 7

Five and a half hours later Scarlett can barely feel her head, her face is covered in layers of make-up, and the corset on her dress feels like it is going to squeeze her to death. But even the tomboy street fighter has to admit she looks pretty spectacular. The yellow sparkly dress is made of the finest and softest material the brunette has ever encountered. The sleeves are see-through, made of some sparkly material that hangs around her arms, reaching her elbows. There is a large light blue ribbon wrapped around her slender waist forming a bow in the back. Simple gold studs decorate her piercings, a gold hoop in her cartilage. It is a simple outfit, gold shoes adorn her small feet and her hair is curled to perfection. Keeping the dark chocolate locks out of the fighter's face, the queen's servants pull her silky hair back in a messy bun, letting the fighter's shorter hairs frame her face. The curly strands tickle the street girl's cheeks, but she doesn't object to the style. Her make up is a dark smokey look, black on her lower lash line and sparkly gold, black, and a tint of forest green on her upper lids. Her lashes, somewhat long and thick, are curled and coated with the Asgardian version of mascara, finishing the look off. Her ruby red lips are coated with a hot pink shade of lipstick, making them appear more pink than red. Never in her entire life has Scarlett worn this much make-up, but she doesn't complain, simply letting the stylists and beauticians do their job.

"You look stunning." The queen compliments, giving the brunette a heart-warming smile.

"You do look amazing." Sif agrees, straightening up and smiling at her friend.

"Thanks. You think Loki will like it?" Scarlett asks, the words leaving her mouth before she could stop them.

"He'll fall head over heels. He's already madly in love with you." Frigga replies, giving the fighter a knowing look before ordering her servants out.

"What time do we have to be down there?" Scarlett asks, looking around the room for an instrument that will tell her the time.

"Not for awhile. It's time for us to prepare. Wait here and we'll fetch for you when we're ready." The blonde queen commands, kissing the fighter's cheeks lovingly before leaving the room, Sif in tow.

* * *

Two hours later the queen returns, now dressed in a shimmering gold gown with gold armor accessorizing it. Sif has also changed, now adorning a silver armor top dress with a silver skirt made of some foreign material. Her long black hair is tied back in a high ponytail, and she wears her armor as well.

"Wow you both look fantastic." Scarlett compliments, bowing slightly before the two regal women.

"None of that bowing. I won't have it from my feature daughter." Frigga insists, taking Scarlett's arm and leading her through the halls.

Walking through the now familiar halls, the trio comes to two large double doors, beyond the doors music can be heard and laughing and cheering.

"We'll go in first then announce you. Stay here till the doors open." Frigga instructs, leading Sif around the hall through another door, applause can be heard from inside.

* * *

In the presence of some of the most powerful rulers in the Nine Realms as well as some of the most beautiful maidens, all Loki could do was pace in annoyance. He had been without Scarlett's company all day, and it was driving him insane. This was her last day with him, probably forever, and the lack of her company was enough to make the youngest prince irritated to no end. Thor's over cheery voice, the warrior's three constant half drunken laughter, and the questions from single women seeking his attention was enough to make Loki want to scream out with furry. How dare he be kept this long without Scarlett by his side? She was leaving the next morning. He needed to spend as much time with her as possible.

With these thoughts in mind, Loki finally hears the applause, signaling his mother and lady Sif's arrival. Two unaware princesses were seeking his attention, each trying to out do the other by complimenting him. Only half listening, Loki stares at his mother and father's direction, waiting for Scarlett to appear.

"Everyone, I have an announcement. Tonight will be the first night that one of my sons will light a Unity Lantern. In honor of this celebration, I present to you my son's future bride, the feature princess of Asgard. Lady Scarlett." Odin's deep voice announces to the quiet room, every guest in awe at his announcement.

At last the double doors at the top of a grand marble staircase open, revealing the sparkling sight of the earth girl who has stolen the god of mischief's heart. Applause and cheering erupt from the crowd, everyone wanting to meet the lucky bride. Believing her to be Prince Thor's new bride, for he is the first son and future king, the room is shocked when Loki nearly runs up the stairs, escorting the unsure fighter down to the main ballroom.

"You look stunning." Loki whispers in the brunette's ear, feeling her relax with his arm around her waist.

"You don't look half bad yourself, your highness." Scarlett replies, giving him a smirk that lights up her eyes.

Smiling back, Loki leads the street girl towards his waiting brother, warriors three, and Sif, the four males jaws slack with surprise.

"She looks great doesn't she boys." Sif comments, smacking Fandral behind the head to get him to shut his open mouth.

"Yes, indeed. Lady Scarlett you look most radiant this evening." Hogun compliments, being the only warrior who hasn't been beat by the teen, and who still holds some respectable position in her eyes.

"Thank you, Warrior Hogun. You look dashing yourself." Scarlett returns the compliment, bowing slightly before the group, demonstrating her kinder side.

"Indeed, you look absolutely stunning." Fandral agrees with his fellow warrior, making the brunette fight back a scowl at his smirking face.

"Thank you, Fandral." Scarlett replies, giving him a threatening look that warned him of dangers if he continued.

Accepting her warning, Fandral bows slightly, moving behind Hogun and Sif, just as a safety precaution.

"You sure have him scared." Volstagg comments at Fandral's actions, laughing heartedly at his friend's submissive behavior towards the girl. "The only other female he acts that way to is Sif."

"Well I am honored to be held at such esteem as Sif." The brunette smiles, accepting the unsaid compliment.

Scowling at the fat redhead's words, Fandral can only brood in silence as laughter erupts from everyone in the small group, everyone knowing that Scarlett has earned her new title of a warrior.

"Can I have this dance?" Loki asks, looking towards the girl of his dreams, hand extended towards hers.

"Yes, you may." Scarlett replies, taking his hand in hers as he leads them towards the center of the dance floor.

Everyone clears a large open space for the two, as the couple begins to dance. Loki easily swings the petite girl around in his arms, spinning her out and pulling her back in. Eyes locked, the couple forgets everyone around them. Scarlett can see out of the corner of her eyes many females scowling at her or sending her hateful stares as she dances with the prince.

"Those girls are staring." The brunette notes, motioning slightly with her heads towards a group of girls, all scantly dressed with hateful expressions on their face.

"Let them stare." Loki says, seeing the girls' looks and sending them a menacing glare back.

The two continue to dance, keeping time to the music. Soon other couples join them, including Odin and Frigga and Thor and Sif.

"Brother, what a lovely evening it is." Thor booms towards the younger male, giving the green eye god a heavy pat on the back.

"Yes, indeed it is." Loki replies, smiling at his half-drunk brother.

"The lantern lighting will start soon." Odin says, motioning towards the people who have left to go to the gardens where the lanterns will be lit and released.

"We shall make our way towards the balcony." Loki replies, leading Scarlett towards the open French doors, spinning her the entire time.

Outside the night hair is cool, making the brunette shiver as the wind ruffles her dress. Walking towards the edge, there are several large lanterns resting on the ledge.

"This is ours." Loki says pointing towards the largest one with strange Asgardian symbols painted on it.

"It's lovely." The brunette replies, smiling at the Lantern that will seal her future to the green eye god.

"It's time. Loki, would you light your lantern?" Odin says towards the couple, handing his youngest son a lighter.

"Ready?" Loki asks, extending the lighter towards the fighter to light together.

"More than I've ever been." Scarlett replies, giving the prince a quick kiss on the cheek before taking the lighter in her hand as well.

Together, the pair lights their candle watching as the symbols on the lantern glow a bright green and blue color. Surprise covers the brown eye girls face as the blue and green run together.

"I told the designer blue was your favorite color. In Asgard, the joining of our colors symbolizes our relationship." Loki says, noticing the brunette's unsaid question.

"Can you read my mind or something?" Scarlett asks, looking at him with seriousness in her voice he doesn't understand.

"Slightly. Because you've opened up to me and accepted me as your mate, I can feel your emotions. I know you can feel mine as well." The prince responds, seeing a light flash in her eyes.

"Is that the new feelings I've been feeling? Yours?" Scarlett asks, scared slightly at the idea of being so close to someone.

"Yes. It'll take time to get used to, but I assure you, you'll learn to control it." Loki reassures the worried girl, noticing her tensed body relax.

Turning towards the king, the brunette notices the king and queen have lit their Unity Lanterns and Thor his single one.

"Tonight, a new era is born. Asgard shall have its first princess." Odin announces to the anxious crowd below, signaling them to release their lanterns as he, Frigga, and Thor release theirs. Turning to his son and the fighter, he nods giving them the signal to release theirs as well.

Facing her future husband, Scarlett lifts one side as Loki lifts the other, watching as the lantern begins to float on its own, rising to meet the others. The entire sky is decorated with the floating lights, Loki and Scarlett's rising the highest to lead the other lanterns with the wind.

"It's beautiful." Scarlett whispers to the air, knowing Loki heard her.

"Indeed. I've seen this happen for eighteen years, and this year is by far the best of all." The prince replies, pulling the brunette in for a passionate kiss.

Returning the kiss, Scarlett leans heavily against the prince's chest, loving the warmth radiating under his armor. "I've never seen anything that beautiful." Scarlett replies breaking the kiss and watching the lanterns float higher into the sky.

Giving the fighter a protective look, Loki forces her to look him square in the eyes, a dangerous expression on his face. "No one shall ever harm you again. I swear with my life that if anything happens, I'll personally deal with it." Loki growls, a dark look crossing his emerald orbs.

"Whatever happens, we'll do it together. I'm not going to let you baby me. We're a team." Scarlett replies, giving him a warm smile to ease his troubled mind.

The crowd's cheering from below breaks the tension rising, the couple returning to the ballroom where the crowd has begun to regroup.

"May I have a dance with my future sister?" Thor asks his younger brother, noticing his face become dark with the suggestion.

"Yes you may. Loki it's just a dance." Scarlett answers, kissing Loki on the cheek lovingly before taking Thor's hand to dance.

"You make my brother very happy." Thor says, twirling the petite girl around the dance floor ungracefully.

"He makes me very happy as well." Scarlett replies, trying to keep her feet out of the large prince's way.

"You will make a good bride and queen." Thor says, giving her a knowing smile.

"What makes you think I'll be queen?" Scarlett asks, her muscles tensing but she wills herself to relax.

The music ends at her question, Thor bowing before her and letting Loki take her hand.

"It was a wonderful dance." Thor says to his younger brother, making him scowl back.

"Enough of that you two. It's party, relax." Scarlett says towards her fiancée, watching Thor turn and leave.

"What did you two talk about?" Loki asks, aggressiveness to his tone that the fighter found alluring and frightful.

"He just said he was happy I'm joining the family. And that I make you very happy." The brunette replies honestly, watching the emerald eyes relax and the aggressiveness melt away.

"You do make me very happy." Loki affirms, feeling the brunette lean into his hold.

"And I told him you make me very happy as well." The tan girl whispers against his chest, Loki hearing her words with his abnormal hearing.

Smiling down at his future bride, Loki just sways the two with the music, letting her close her eyes into a peaceful state.

"If you're tired we can retire to our room." Loki offers, feeling the fighter snuggle closer to him.

"I'm up for whatever." Scarlett replies, a smile on her lips, as her eyes remain closed.

Leading the way, Loki takes the brunette's hand, walking through the crowded ballroom and towards the doors. Walking through the lit corridors, the two enter Loki's room once more, finding solace in the quietness and seclusion it offers.

"Wanna help me out here?" Scarlett asks, turning her back towards Loki and motioning towards the back of her dress.

Smiling at her annoyed expression, Loki steps forward, beginning to untie the large blue bow then moving to loosen the ribbons and stays keeping the corset together.

"You know you should just learn how to tie and untie a corset." Loki comments, chuckling at the scoff that sounds from the fighter's throat.

"We don't have corsets on earth. The worst thing we have are bra clasps." Scarlett replies, choosing a bra over a corset hands down.

"Interesting. What do they look like?" Loki asks, noticing a pink hue creeping up the brunette's cheek.

"They're just like a bikini top. Meant to keep the breasts in place." Scarlett replies, trying hard to fight back the blush growing on her face.

"So they're similar to corsets." Loki concludes, smiling at the way the brunette shifts uncomfortably.

"Yeah pretty much." The fighter responds, walking away from Loki as he loosens the final ribbon.

"I can feel this conversation is making you uncomfortable." Loki says, starting to remove his own clothes.

"On earth we don't usually discuss women's underwear very much." Scarlett replies, walking back from behind the changing wall wearing the blue dress from before and removing her jewelry.

"Would it make you feel better if we discussed what males wear?" Loki asks, smiling at the chuckle the fighter emits.

"They just wear boxers, briefs, or underwear." Scarlett replies, giggling slightly.

"I don't understand what any of these things are." Loki says motioning towards the man buckles keeping his costume together silently asking the brunette for help.

"They're what guys wear under their pants, shorts, swimsuits, etc." Scarlett clarifies, helping the prince with his many buckles.

Not answering, Loki watches as the brunette works the buckles on his costume like a pro. Smiling, Loki kisses the tops of her knuckles, still on his arm.

"Where's Diesel?" Scarlett asks, realizing the puppy isn't in the room.

"I believe he's playing out in the gardens." Loki responds, staring at the brunette's tan face.

"Shouldn't we go get him?"

"Just whistle. Asgardian dogs have extremely good hearing. They can hear their master's voice up to two miles away." Loki explains, watching the shock on the Midgardian's face.

Doing just that, Scarlett lifts her fingers to her mouth, letting a loud high pitch whistle ring through the room and the palace. The sound of a dog bark is heard outside, then in a split second Diesel bounces into the room from the open balcony doors.

"Wow that was fast." Scarlett notes kneeling to pet her dog and letting him jump onto the couch.

"How did you do that?" Loki asks, meaning the whistle.

"It's a trick my mom taught me. Her uncle owned a ranch in southern Wyoming near the Rockies. It's how they called horses. She taught me when I was really little." Scarlett elaborates; a flash of pain crosses her features at the mentioning of her mom.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Loki apologizes, sensing the pain in the fighter's heart.

"No it's ok. I haven't thought about her in a long time." Scarlett admits, walking towards the open French doors, leaning against the frame.

"She sounded like a lovely mother." Loki says, walking next to the fighter, watching the sky.

"She was. For a single mom she did her best." Scarlett agrees, letting the wind rustle her still pinned up hair.

"I can't imagine how difficult that must have been for her and you." Loki comments, turning his head to look at her.

"It was hard. But there wasn't anything I could do to change it. My mom made her bed." Scarlett replies, a bitter note in her tone.

"What do you mean?" Loki asks, pressing the issue.

"She left my father when she became pregnant. They got married three weeks after she turned eighteen then she left. Six months later I come along." Scarlett replies, letting a dangerous look cross her face. "She never told me who my father was. She refused to have him in her life, so he wasn't allowed to be in mine."

"I'm assuming she didn't approve of you searching for your father then." Loki says, looking at the brunette with a hurtful face.

"She was dead by the time I met Dom. But I'm sure she's throwing a hissy-fit in her grave." Scarlett replies, chuckling darkly at the thought.

"Was she that bad?"

"No, she just didn't love Dom enough to stay with him. She was kind of selfish that way." Scarlett replies honestly, looking at Loki for a moment, seeing his hurt face. "You don't have to pity me. I am who I am because of my parents' mistakes and achievements, there's nothing anybody can do to change that." The fighter says bitterly.

"I don't mean to upset you by my pity, it's just I've never known what it's like to be without my parents or my brother." Loki says, slightly offended by her harsh tone.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. It's just…I'm not good with families. Sure I have Dom, Mia, Brian, and the team, but I don't know what it's like to have a mom and dad who love each other and myself. Also I'm an only child, so siblings aren't my specialty." The brown eye girl apologizes towards her fiancée, sensing his pain.

"It's fine. I guess we come from different worlds." Loki says, wishing he hadn't said it the moment it left his mouth.

"We do. But that doesn't mean we can't create a world of our own." Scarlett says, looking directly into his eye with a fierce determination. "I am the master of my fate, and I choose you. I don't care if it's not supposed to work or if we're different, I love you! I'm not giving up on that that easily." The street girl says in a strong tone, ending Loki's doubts.

"I'm the god of mischief, I'm not expected to follow people's expectations." Loki replies with a smirk on his face, making the brunette laugh.

"Should I be worried that you take so much pride in that?" The fighter jokes, turning completely towards the god and flashing him a pearly white smile.

"Oh you should be terrified." Loki growls back, easily lifting the girl off her feet and walking towards the bed, throwing her down on it.

Laughing non-stop, Scarlett doesn't object to Loki manhandling her, even though she would've snapped any other guy's neck. "Oh I'm petrified. Is the big bad Loki going to punish me?" the brunette mocks fear, a mischievous smirk on her own face.

"Oh I'm going to make you scream with terror. I want to hear my name from your lips over and over and over again." Loki whispers into her ear, causing a shiver to run down the fighter's spine against her wish.

"What if I refuse to give in?" Scarlett dares to challenge the god, making a playful smirk cross the prince's face.

"Then I'll have to show you who you belong to." Loki replies, kissing the fighter passionately before she could respond.

Responding to the kiss equally as passionate, Scarlett begins to run her hands down the god's back, making goosebumps appear across his skin. Maximizing on her new discovery, the brunette begins to gently drag her blunt nails across the pale skin of Loki's body, making the prince groan.

"You know if you keep that up I won't be able to stop." Loki says, looking at her seriously before kissing her neck and chin.

"What if I don't want you to stop? What if I want to give myself to you?" Scarlett replies, suddenly breathless.

"Are you certain?" Loki asks, pausing his actions to look her directly in the eye.

"More than anything in my life. I'm yours." Scarlett answers, looking him directly in the eye, not a single hint of doubt cross her features.

"And I'm yours as well." Loki agrees, kissing her roughly on the lips with a passion the fighter equally matches.

* * *

By the time the dawn began to break through the sky, the two lovebirds are laying up in bed, entangled in limbs and sheets. Naked, Loki rubs random patterns along Scarlett's bare back, she resting her head on his chest, her arm extended to play with the hair behind his ear.

"I love you, Loki." Scarlett says, breaking the silence between the two.

"I love you too." Loki replies, looking down at the girl lying in his arms. Memorizing her every feature, every curve, every angle Loki had spent the entire night and early morning marking his territory. Noticing the few darkening bruises on her neck, hips, and thighs Loki admires his work by running his fingers across the darkening bruises.

"I don't think I've ever been this happy." Scarlett continues, looking up at Loki.

"I agree." Loki replies, making the brunette sigh into his side, sleep over taking her.

* * *

By the time breakfast rolls around, the two are awake and relaxing in each other's arms.

"Do you think we should eat?" Scarlett asks, laying beside Loki in a daze.

"If that's what you desire." Loki replies, using his magic to summon food.

"Breakfast in bed?" Scarlett questions, noticing the tray floating towards the bed, two plates prepared with the most delicious food the brunette's seen yet.

"Nothing but the best." Loki answers, handing her a goblet full of some foreign liquid that leaves a warm feeling in the fighter's stomach.

* * *

After breakfast the two continue to lay in bed, neither ready to leave its warm confines or each other's arms. By the time sunset begins, Loki knows they must prepare for Scarlett's departure. Each leaving the bed, the two get ready together, Loki washing the brunette's hair and her returning the favor. Stepping out of the bathroom together, Loki uses his magic to summon the Midgardian's clothes from before. Scarlett lets out a gasp at the sight of her old clothes, having forgotten about them long ago.

"I had them cleaned for you." Loki says, noticing her expression.

"Thank you." Scarlett replies, standing as tall as she could to kiss his lips.

Walking over to the bed, Scarlett slips out of the towel wrapped around her body and changes in front of Loki into her clothes. Ripped faded blue jeans, muddy black combat boots with untied laces, a thin white t-shirt, and a black leather jacket the fighter can smell Loki's scent on her clothes. Turning to face the god, the fighter sees he has changed into his Asgardian attire, the same outfit he wore when he rescued her. Taking her hand, Loki kisses her knuckles like he did the first time they met, locking green eyes with her brown ones.

"Shall we?" Loki asks, sadness in his voice.

"We shall." Scarlett agrees, keeping her voice as steady as possible.

* * *

The two walk through the palace hand, Loki setting a slow pace to delay the inevitable. Mounting a large black horses waiting in front of the palace, Loki heaves the petite fighter on first, sitting behind her and leading the horse towards the outskirt of the city. Riding with Loki, Scarlett takes in Asgard for the last time, loving the freedom she feels here. The two arrive at the Rainbow Bridge in no time, seeing Odin, Frigga, Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three waiting for them next to a large black male covered in shinning armor. Dismounting first, Loki helps the brunette down, the horse being twice as tall as Midgardian horses. Giving one last look at the city and the royal palace, Scarlett walks forward with Loki, taking his arm in hers.

"Welcome Lady Scarlett." The black male greets, bowing his head respectfully.

"How do you know my name?" Scarlett asks, suddenly on the defense.

"Heimdall knows everything. He's very wise and keeper of the gates of Asgard." Loki explains, easing the fighter's worries.

"She's ready whenever you are." Odin says towards the tall male, looking at the brunette through his one eye.

Nodding towards the king, Heimdall walks towards inside the dome like structure, removing a large sword from his side and sticking it into its place.

"Whenever you are ready, step inside the Bifrost and I will send you home." Heimdall says towards the brunette, giving her a small smile.

Nodding her thanks, Scarlett turns to the queen, seeing tears in the woman's eyes.

"I'm sorry." Frigga says, wiping her eyes. "I'll miss you very much."

Stepping forward, the queen embraces the fighter into a motherly hug, sobbing more when she pulls away. Turning towards Thor, Thor bows respectfully towards the fighter, who curtseys slightly before the prince.

"I pray for your safe trip and quick return." Thor says, a sad smile on his face.

Knowing Loki wouldn't approve, Scarlett nonetheless hugs the large god, making the prince hold back his tears of sadness. Turning towards Sif, the two women embrace each other in a friendly hug, neither saying a word.

"I have never had a more worthy opponent. You are a fierce warrior. My your future forever be blessed, my friend." Sif says towards the shorter girl, smiling through teary eyes.

"I'll miss you Sif. Thank you for being such a great friend." Scarlett replies, giving her a smile in return.

Facing the Warrior's Three, Volstagg and Hogun step forth in front of Fandral, knowing the female warrior doesn't particular like him.

"You are a worthy opponent. Perhaps next time you may teach us your moves." Volstagg says, bowing respectfully before the fighter.

"Thank you. You are all worthy warriors." Scarlett replies, giving Fandral a small smile, which the blonde warrior gladly returns, happy not to be on her bad side.

Finally turning towards Loki, having moved to stand next to Heimdall while she said her goodbyes, Scarlett can see and feel his pain. Running towards the god at half speed, the street girl easily jumps into his arms, the prince placing a protective arm around her waist and under her rear, letting her wrap her legs around his waist. Kissing him with more passion than ever before, Scarlett reveals her entire emotion in their lip lock, feeling the salty tears run down her cheeks. When they finally pull away, Loki lowers the girl slowly, keeping his forehead pressed against hers. Slipping a ring on her left ring finger, the brunette looks down to see a silver ring with three large emeralds and three smaller diamonds decorating it.

"I love you." Loki says against the brunette's face, letting his hot breath mix with hers.

"I love you more." Scarlett counters, letting the tears continue to fall.

"I love you most." Loki replies, smiling at her stubbornness. Kissing her tears, Loki looks into the deep brown eyes, seeing all the love mirrored in his own eyes.

"I will return." Scarlett says in a matter of fact tone, making the god chuckle at her headstrong nature.

Nodding, Loki kisses her once more, letting his hands rest on her hips. Feeling Thor's hand on his shoulder, the god reluctantly walks out of the Bifrost, standing beside his mother and Thor. Eyes locked on Loki's face, the brunette can see Heimdall turn the sword inside its stand from the corner of her eye, making the Bifrost spin. The last image in Scarlett's mind before a white light surrounds her is Loki's face, a look of determination and love shinning in his emerald eyes.

* * *

**Thanks so much for all the readers! You're the reason why I write! I know this is a long chapter, but I really wanted Scarlett to get home so I can continue on with the story. Thanks so much! Feedback is greatly welcomed! **


	8. Chapter 8

As the light faded, the street fighter slowly begins to open her eyes, realizing she's in her front yard. Looking around the air is colder than in Asgard, the street lamp a couple yards down giving off the only light. It's close to 10:00 Scarlett guesses, noticing all the cars in her driveway and in front of her house. Walking up the drive, the brunette braces herself for Dom and her family's reaction. Opening the front door, finding it unlocked, Scarlett pushes her way into the warmer house, seeing her family gathered in the front family room.

"Wildflower!" Rome's voice calls to her, spying her first. Standing up the black male all but runs towards her, embracing her in a warm hug, and easily lifting her off the ground.

"Hey Rome!" Scarlett greets, her lungs begging for air. "Can't breathe."

"Sorry." Rome apologizes, lowering the fighter back to her feet and stepping back. "Where have you been? Dom's been worried sick." Rome asks, not hiding his own worry.

"Sorry. I know I should've called y'all but everything happened so fast. It's a long story. Is Dom here?" Scarlett replies, exhaling deeply and bracing herself for Dom's rant.

"Yeah he's in the kitchen." Rome says, leading her through the house towards the back.

Entering the kitchen, Rome steps to the side allowing Dom and an older man to lay eyes on the petite fighter. Relief flooding his face, Dom rushes towards his only child, hugging her tightly and lifting her off the ground.

"Baby girl! Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how worried Mia's been for you? Why didn't you call?" Dom begins worry overtaking his anger.

"I'm sorry Dom. It's a really long and complicated story." Scarlett replies, feeling Dom's warm tears on her skin.

"I thought I lost you. Don't you dare scare me like that again." Dom says sternly, lowering her to the ground and wiping his tears away furiously.

"I know, I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again." The brunette reassures her concerned father. "Who's that?" The fighter asks, turning her attention to the man sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of tea in front of him.

"Hello Scarlett." The man says, removing his fedora hat revealing a balding head. "It's been awhile hasn't it? What, almost twelve years? My you've grown." The man says in a familiar voice, causing memories to stir in the brunette's head. "You look so much like your mother."

"How do you know Diana?" Scarlett asks, reaching for the knife that's hidden in her jacket.

"You don't remember?" The man asks, cocking his head to the side with a masked expression on his face.

Shaking her head no, Scarlett grasps the sheathed knife in her pocket, prepared to throw it at the stranger's head if need be.

"Don't even remember your own grandfather? Can't say I blame you, I haven't seen you since your fourth birthday." The man says, taking a sip of his tea, keeping his eyes on the brunette.

"Grandfather?" Scarlett says out loud, a quizzical look on her face. "Dante?"

Nodding his head in affirmative, the man stands before her. Although aged greatly, the man still holds an impressive height and muscle.

Feeling a sudden headache, a flood of memories burst inside the brunette's mind. Memories she's locked away in the back of her mind refusing to remember. Realization hitting her like a freight train, the fighter releases her hold on her weapon, removing her hand from her jacket pocket and walking towards the older man, throwing her arms around his broad shoulders and embracing him in a warm hug. Feeling him tense at first, Dante relaxes his shoulders, allowing his granddaughter to embrace him warmly, returning the affection by wrapping his arms around her smaller frame.

Smelling of cigars, bourbon, and tropical flowers Scarlett allows Dante's scent to fill her senses, a smell she hasn't smelt since she was a little girl. Dressed in dress pants and white dress shirt, Dante wears a vest and tie completing the business outfit. A jacket hangs on the back of the chair, and his fedora sits on the table next to his forgotten tea.

"I'm sorry. I thought I'd never see you again." The brunette says, releasing her hold on her grandfather, and wiping some stray tears from her eyes.

"It's ok to cry Star." Dante says warmly, giving her his handkerchief, allowing her to wipe her teary eyes. "I've missed you so much."

"Why didn't you contact me sooner?" Scarlett questions, hurt in her chocolate eyes.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't safe for you to be with me." Dante replies, a pained expression on his features. "I would have, but it wasn't the right time. You were safer away from your family at the time. By the time the threat was neutralized, you had met Dom and no longer needed my assistance."

"What do you mean?" The fighter asks, taking a step away from the grey-eyed male.

"Do you know what I do for a living?" Dante asks, confusing the already bewildered girl.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question please."

"No. Diana always said you worked in business." Scarlett replies, folding her arms over her chest and setting her face in an unreadable expression.

"Business is right. I am a retired don of the Carano mafia family." Dante says bluntly, making the brunette's eyes widen. "When Diana was killed, a rival family was targeting us. It wasn't safe for any of the Carano family to claim you as their own. That's why you were safer in the foster system where you were nobody, taken care of by nobodies, than you were with your own family. You have no idea how much it pained Victory and me to see you grow up without us. To see you have no family, barely any friends, and fighting those low life scums."

"You knew where I was the entire time?" Scarlett asks, looking at him like a kicked puppy.

"Yes, we made sure to always know your location. We've sent men to take care of potential threats that would've harmed or exposed you. We have always protected you, either myself personally, or one of your uncles, Damien especially." Dante sighs, looking at her with regret.

"Who is Damien and Victory?" Scarlett asks, recognizing the name but unable to place where.

"Victory is my wife, Diana's mother, and Damien is my oldest son and Diana's older brother. I have three sons and one daughter. Damien and Derrick, my twins, Diana, and Daniel, my youngest child." Dante replies, giving her a brief smile.

"Where's Victory now? Why isn't she here?" The fighter questions.

"She's safe. She's probably drinking margaritas on the beach of our Florida home at this very moment." The Mafia don answer, looking at his gold watch for the time.

"Where's Damien? Or Derrick or Daniel?" Scarlett's husky voice asks.

"Damien is in Chicago, Derrick is in New York City, and Daniel is in Miami or maybe Boston. I can't remember his schedule this week." Dante says, pinching the bridge of his nose before sitting down once more.

"Why aren't they here with you?" Scarlett asks, taking a seat across from the don and eyeing him carefully.

"They're looking for you. I should call them and tell them you're safe." Dante says, reaching into his vest pocket and pulling out a prepaid phone.

"How long have I been gone?" The brunette questions, suddenly finding it hard to remember when she was taken.

"Four days at the most. You missed every single day of school this week." Dom's deep voice says leaning against the wall his large frame is hidden slightly by shadows from the dim kitchen light. "Your principle called when you missed the third day of school."

Nodding her head, Scarlett looks towards Dante, seeing he's moved from sitting down to talking to his son in the dinning room, through the doorway. "Is today Friday?" Scarlett asks, looking at the digital numbers on the oven.

"Yeah. You disappeared Monday night, but you have to wait twenty-four hours till you can file a missing person's report. Of course I got a call from a pissed of don, wondering where the hell his granddaughter went." Dom says, anger hidden under his calm words.

"Dom I am so sorry. It's not my fault I was kidnapped by some monster." Scarlett says, looking at her father with honesty in her eyes.

"What do you mean kidnapped?" Mia asks, walking into the room wearing her nightdress. "Scarlett!" Rushing towards her niece, the tan woman hugs the teen in a tight hug.

"Hey Mia. Sorry to have worried you." The brunette says, looking at her aunt.

"It's alright honey. Brian will be relieved to know you're ok." Mia replies, giving her a warm smile.

"Who kidnapped you?" Dom asks, his voice turning dark and his anger rising.

"A Frost Giant. Don't worry, Odin dealt with them." Scarlett assures her father, making Mia look at her questionable.

"What's a Frost Giant?" The tan woman questions standing up to sit beside her niece.

"A monster from Jotunheim. Don't worry Odin talked to King Laufey and everything's going to be ok." Scarlett tries to reassure her worried father and aunt.

"What's a Jotunheim?" Dante asks, walking back into the room, ending his call.

"It's a kingdom part of the Nine Realms. Ruled by King Laufey it's been on the brink of war with Asgard for centuries." Scarlett answers, sounding ridiculous to her own ears.

"Never heard of it." Brian says, walking into the room hearing the brunette's explanation.

"It's part of Norse mythology that's apparently real." Scarlett says, shrugging her shoulders.

"You're saying a mythical Norse creature kidnapped you and took you to Jotunheim?" Tej says, walking into the room, eavesdropping from the family room.

"Yeah pretty much." The fighter replies, watching as the remainder of her family files in.

"Why did they kidnap you?" Gisele asks, believing the girl no matter how outlandish her story sounded.

"I don't know." The brunette answers in a small voice, looking at the ground thinking of Loki. "Loki rescued me." She says in a whisper, loud enough for the quiet room to hear. Twisting the silver ring on her finger, Scarlett doesn't see the hidden looks the adults around her give one another.

"Who's Loki?" Rome asks, confused.

"The prince of Asgard. Odin's youngest son." The girl responds, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Odin has more than one son?" Tej asks, unsure what to make of the situation.

"Yeah he has two, Thor and Loki. Both gods in Norse legends." Scarlett explains, still fiddling with the ring.

"They saved you?" Mia asks, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Yeah. They were very hospitable." The brunette answers, turning to Mia with a smile on her face. "The palace of Asgard is breathtaking. All of Asgard is really."

Nodding in response, the remaining adults look rather confused at the teen girl sitting in front of them. No one saying anything, the quietness fills the room. Sensing their doubt, the fighter closes her eyes, feeling the power of water run through her veins. Her hair slowly rising to move like waves, her body outlined in a glowing blue color, Scarlett uses the water from the facet of the sink to make an outline of the city of Asgard, the castle the most prominent part of it. Looking towards the image being created within the water, the adults' jaws drop, all of them staring between the girl and the floating liquid.

"What the hell is that?" Rome's confused voice asks, looking at the image, which begins to show a real picture of the kingdom of Asgard, a vivid memory from the fighter.

"That would be Asgard." Scarlett replies, opening her eyes to see her creation.

"Wow that's magnificent." Gisele whispers, looking at the golden city.

"It is pretty." Mia agrees, looking at Scarlett's glowing form than to the picture. "How did you do that?"

"It's my power. I am the element of water. Loki thinks that's why I was kidnapped. Ice is a part of water; he thinks that's why King Laufey wanted me." Scarlett answers, looking at her aunt.

Nodding in response, Mia looks towards Dom and Brian, concerned written all over her face. "Sweetie, who else knows about this power." The brunette asks, motioning towards the floating image.

"Only Esther, Chloe, Katy, Audrey, and Katy's grandmother." Scarlett says, "And Loki and his family."

"Who's are they?" Mia asks, a look of confusion on her face.

"They're my new friends. Esther showed me around school on the first day and my locker is near hers. I have a lot of classes with her too. And the other girls are her friends, who also have lockers near by and classes with me." Scarlett fills her aunt in, seeing her aunt smile at the knowledge that Scarlett as made friends.

"Those must be the girls who came by the house the day after you were taken. They were looking for you, but Dom scared them off." Mia says, giving Dom a small glare.

"In my defense, I didn't know who they were. Red didn't tell me she actually made friends." Dom replies, not phased by Mia's anger.

"They came here? To the house?" Scarlett asks, looking at Mia with a guarded expression.

"No to the shop. When they started asking about you, Dom got a little protective." Mia replies, giving her older brother another sharp glare.

"Look it's late, tomorrow's Saturday, get some sleep and you can call your friends later." Dom says, looking at the clock and seeing the late hour.

"Fine. I am really sorry I worried you guys." Scarlett agrees, using her powers to move the water back into the sink, splashing some on the counters.

Standing up, the brunette hugs her aunt warmly, Gisele joining them in a small group hug. Walking towards the men, Scarlett embraces them all in individual hugs, staying in her father's arms the longest. Kissing her caramel skin forehead, Dom looks down at his daughter, the spitting image of her mother.

"Night baby girl, I'll see you in the morning." Dom says, kissing the tip of her nose and watching her walk through the halls up the stairs.

Hearing her bedroom door close, Dom looks at the rest of the family, particular at Dante.

"She's safe. You can leave anytime." Dom says in a rough voice.

"I don't plan on going anywhere, Dominic." Dante replies, looking at his son-in-law with silent rage. "She's my granddaughter and I intend to stay in her life."

"I'm her father and I forbid you from speaking to her. It's bad enough she now knows the truth about you and your family's history, don't let her become a target." Dom says, anger in his voice as his brown eyes glare at Dante's grey ones.

"Look, Dominic, there are two ways we can go about this. The first way is the easy way, I'll be in her life watching her and keeping her safe or second way I'll take her with me when I leave. I can assure you none of us will enjoy option number two." Dante threatens, his voice deepening as his anger begins to show.

"Why can't you leave her alone? You've stayed out of her life for twelve years already." Dom says, his voice quieter as his anger subsides slightly.

"That is true. But I need to be in her life now. Until the last threat has been destroyed." Dante agrees, looking at Dom's team. "What would you propose as a compromise? I can assure you she'll be interested in her mother's family after meeting me. You can't keep the truth from her forever."

"You can stay as long as you like. The couch is available in the living room." Dom says in an annoyed tone. "But we'll discuss this later. I'm not going to spoil her safe return with a fight the same night."

"I agree, we shall discuss this tomorrow. When will the remainder of your crew arrive?" The gangster asks.

"Tomorrow morning. I received a call from Vince saying he's stopped in Richmond tonight." Dom replies, moving towards the doorway to return to his own room.

"Excellent. I'll tell my men to be on the look out for them." Dante says, a satisfied note in his tone.

Ignoring his last comment, Dom stalks out of the kitchen towards the stairs, disregarding the conversation coming from the rest of the family in the kitchen. Walking up the short flight of stairs, the part Irish street racer checks on his daughter, entering her room silently and seeing her asleep in her bed, her hair sprawled out behind. Walking into the room, Dom leans down and kisses his daughter tan cheek, watching her smile in her sleep.

"I love you baby girl." The Los Angeles native whispers to his daughter, leaving the room and closing the door quietly.

* * *

The next morning Scarlett wakes up in her own bed, slightly confused at first before she remembers the events of the previous day and night. Sitting up and stretching beneath the covers, the brunette looks at the clock on her nightstand, seeing it's close to 10 o'clock. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the street fighter leaves the warmth of her bed and walks downstairs, hearing voices and laughter coming from the kitchen. Standing in the doorway, Scarlett watches as Mia cooks breakfast, Rome and Tej debating some topic about cowboys versus aliens, and Han typing furiously on his laptop, sneaking glances at the Gisele reading a book.

Taking in the scene before her, the fighter feels the swell of her heart, knowing this is her family and why she could never live on Asgard. Asgard, the city (_more like kingdom_) that her boyfriend (_fiancée?_) calls home. At the moment, a dark thought passes through the fighter's mind, a thought she instantly regrets but finds truth in. Asgard will never be her home. She can't imagine leaving her family, the only family she's ever known, for some stuffy palace with servants, cooks, and people to rule. She's a criminal; generations of outlaws run through her blood, that's something marrying Loki will never change. With that thought in mind, the chocolate eye fighter looks down at the silver emerald and diamond ring on her left ring finger. Shinning in the kitchen light, Scarlett can feel Loki's love radiating from the ring. _We would never work out. He said so himself, we come from two very different worlds._ The fighter thinks to herself, hating the idea, but knowing its validity. _I can never return to Asgard anyways. What's the point?_ Lost in her train of thought, the young fighter doesn't notice the basement door opening, or the men that step into the kitchen.

"Red?" A voice asks, shaking the brunette from her dark thoughts. Looking up, the brunette comes faced to face with Vince, Dom's childhood best friend.

"Vince?" Scarlett says, surprise written on her face at her uncle's sudden appearance.

"In the flesh." The bearded man responds, opening his arms wide. Stepping forward, the caramel skin girl hugs the large male before. Covered in tattoos, sunburned skin, and hairy face, Vince is exactly as he was when she left Los Angeles a few weeks ago.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were on the lam?" Scarlett asks, stepping back enough to look Vince in the eye.

"I was on my way to Mexico." Vince replies, "When Dom said you went missing, I changed course and drove here as quick as possible. I would've flown, but I don't have enough cash."

"Thank you, I can't believe you drove here all the way for me." Scarlett says, appreciating the man's concern.

"Besides I had to get outta L.A. Some crazy shits gone down since apparently Dom went on the lam." Vince says, looking towards the bald man washing dishes with Mia.

"I didn't want to worry you." Dom replies simple, not giving Vince another glance.

"Yeah I've heard that bullshit before." Vince snaps back, his temper flaring.

"Language, Vince." Gisele snaps towards the angered street racer, earning herself a glare from the male.

"Enough! You are all acting like children. Stop it!" Scarlett snaps towards the adults in the room, her short fuse now lit.

"Sorry baby girl." Dom says, walking out of the kitchen towards the garage.

Ignoring her father's words, Scarlett walks past Vince, walking around the kitchen starts preparing her breakfast. Everyone returning their attention back to whatever they were doing, Vince was suddenly left awkwardly standing near the center of the room. Fed up with the quietness, the L.A. racer stalks out of the room, a stream of profanities being muttered under his breath. With Vince out of the room, the silence no longer felt awkward.

"Oh sweetie Esther called. She wanted to know if you were home yet." Mia says towards her niece, now preparing herself an egg.

"What did you say?" Scarlett asks, turning towards Mia.

"I told her you came home last night safe and sound. I told her she was welcomed to stop by anytime. She said she'd be over around one to talk." Mia answers, finishing the dishes and wiping her hands on a dishtowel.

"Ok. I'll shower up and give her a call." Scarlett says, done cooking her egg and grabbing herself a plate.

Pleased with her response, Mia kisses the side of Scarlett's head lightly, walking out of the room. Sighing, Scarlett looks towards the kitchen table, noticing none of the adults are saying anything. Sitting down beside Gisele on the bench, Scarlett eats her breakfast in silence, feeling the eyes of the adults on her. Unable to stand it any longer, the fight pushes her plate away from her, standing and heading for the door.

"I need some air."


	9. Chapter 9

Walking outside to the cold air, the fighter suddenly wishes she brought a jacket. Wearing only her sneakers, grey sweatpants, and plain white t-shirt, the teen knows she underdressed for the November weather. Blocking the cold from her mind, the fighter begins to run out of her neighborhood into the busier streets towards the city. Not sure where she is going and not particularly caring at the moment, Scarlett finds herself at the park. Slowing her pace, the street girl begins to walk through the open space, stuffing her hands in her baggy pockets as some of the park goers eye her outfit choice questionable. Ignoring their looks, Scarlett makes her way towards the opposite side of the park, where there are less people. Sitting down on one of the benches, the fighter looks out towards the pond. Hearing a branch snap nearby, the fighter is on her feet in an instant, hand reaching towards the gun she always carries tucked in her waistband.

"Easy love, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Someone could get hurt." A male voice says behind her, instantly making her draw her weapon and aiming at the person.

"Who are you?" Scarlett demands, seeing that the male is merely a teen, probably one of her own classmates if she were to guess. He's wearing camouflage cargo pants with a dark green t-shirt underneath a brown leather jacket. There's a boyish charm to his face, but she can instantly see he's probably only a couple of years older than herself.

"I'm Peter. You can lower your weapon anytime." Peter answers hands raised. An English accent evident in his voice. He has brown hair with the front part spiked, and green-blue eyes that stand out against his pale skin. He's not particularly muscular, but Scarlett never put much stock in looks. His ears are rather large, making his already young face appear even more boyish. He's around 5'9, not too tall but tall enough that the brunette has to look up at him if she gets any closer.

"What are you doing out here?" The fighter continues to question, no longer feeling the chilly weather against her bare skin.

"It's a public park is it not?" Peter questions, cocking his head to the side and giving her a smile.

Not returning the smile, Scarlett slowly lowers her arms, securing the weapon behind her back. "Sorry, it's just usually no one's at this part of the park." The fighter says it's a true statement they both know. The south side of the park boarders the roughest part of town, everyone who lives in the city knows that.

"I know that's why it's my favorite part. No one to bug you or watch you or judge you." The boy replies, lowering his raised hands and placing them in his jacket pockets.

Nodding her head, Scarlett keeps her eyes locked on his lanky form as he walks from behind the bench to sit on it beside her. Motioning for her to sit down beside him, Scarlett cautiously lowers herself onto the wooden bench, preventing a shiver from running up her body as her uncovered skin touches the cool wood and metal.

"I assume you're new to the area. I haven't seen you around before." Peter speaks first, looking at the pond.

"Yeah just moved here." Scarlett replies, her expression guarded and her body stiff.

"Relax love, I'm not going to hurt you." Peter says, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

Visibly relaxing, the brunette wraps her arms around herself, clenching her teach to stop them from chattering. Unable to stop her shaking, the olive skinned boy notices her freezing form, removing his jacket and handing it towards her. Shaking her head, Scarlett refuses the warm looking jacket.

"Put it on before you catch a cold." Peter says in a stern voice, opening the jacket and draping it around her shoulders. Her shivering becoming less noticeable, the brunette gives the teen a warm smile, muttering a small "Thank you".

"How long have you lived here?" Scarlett asks, looking directly at Peter with a genuine look.

"I moved here long ago from England." Peter answers, his accent noticeable in his voice.

"Where in England did you live?" The brunette questions further, seeing Peter's jaw tighten.

"London." Peter responds simple, coldness to his tone that wasn't there before.

"That would explain the 'love' thing." Scarlett says, mimicking a British accent.

Smiling at the smaller girl, Peter looks at her with a mischievous gleam to his green eyes. "Ever been to the U.K.?" He asks.

"Nope. The closest thing I've been to Europe is Bush Gardens." Scarlett says, looking at Peter with a masked expression.

"You should visit. It's a grand place." The green eye boy responds, making the brunette chuckle.

"Nah, Europe ain't for me." She says, her voice raspy from the dry cold air.

"Ah." Peter says, looking at her with a smile on his childish face.

"Such a Brit." Scarlett says, rolling her eyes.

"My whole life. Well actually also part Welsh on my father's side." Peter says, a dark look passing his face at the mentioning of his father.

"I shouldn't totally discount you British folk, I'm part Irish." Scarlett says, trying to lighten the boy's mood, not sure why.

"Well Ireland isn't part of the U.K." Peter says, smiling as the fighter lets out a snort.

"I wouldn't know, I've never stepped foot in Ireland, only seen pictures." Scarlett chuckles at the boy, not sure why she feels so relaxed with him.

"Live near the south side?" The teen asks, seeing her smile fade.

"No, but close enough. What about you?"

"Yeah I live a couple of blocks from the park. In a part known as Neverland." Peter replies, motioning in the general direction.

"Why is it called Neverland?"

"Because anyone smart never visits that part." Peter says, with a dark chuckle.

"I should get going." Scarlett says abruptly standing.

Standing with her, Peter looks down at the fighter, at least four inches shorter than him. "I shall see you around?"

"Maybe." Scarlett replies, handing the warm jacket back towards the boy, her skin already missing the warmth.

Walking the way she entered, Scarlett wraps her arms around herself, wishing she had her own jacket more than ever.

"I never got your name, love." Peter calls, making the brunette stop and turn to face him.

"Scarlett." The fighter answers, giving him a small smile at Peter's growing smile.

"Scarlett. Lovely name darling." Peter says, watching her walk away.

* * *

As soon as the fighter walks through the front door Dom, Brian, Mia, and Vince all crowd around her.

"Where the hell have you been?" Dom asks, clearly upset.

"I went for a walk." Scarlett says, pushing past the group of adults towards the stairs.

"You didn't bother to tell any of us?" Brian asks, anger in his voice as he stares at her figure, halfway up the stairs.

"Didn't realize I was on lockdown." The fighter snaps at him, her eyes flashing with anger, her rebellious nature surfacing.

"A little note would have been nice. After you go missing for most of the week what else were we supposed to think?" Mia says, her voice less angry than Dom or Brian's.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." Scarlett says towards her aunt, eyes softening at Mia's concerned face.

"Esther called, she wanted to know if 1:00 at Starbucks would work." The tanned woman informs her niece.

"Thanks, I'll meet her over there." The brunette says, trudging up the stairs into her room. Ignoring the sounds of the adult voice in the foyer, the fighter closes the door to her room, exhaling a deep breath.

* * *

Showering, changing, eating lunch, and grabbing her favorite leather jacket Scarlett begins to walk towards the Starbucks. Intending to be a little early, the brunette zips up the worn out leather jacket, stuffing her hands in the pockets and walking into the city. Finding the correct Starbucks, the brunette sits down at a two-person table near the back, able to see all the action before her. Looking down at her phone, Scarlett still has fifteen minutes to spare.

"Scarlett?" A girl's voice asks, making the brunette look up at the blue eye girl before her.

Turning to face her friend, Scarlett feels two arms wrap around her body, bringing her in for a warm hug. Tensing at first, Scarlett relaxes as Esther loosens her grip, moving to sit down across from the fighter.

"Hey Esther." Scarlett says warmly, smiling at one of the few people she considers a friend.

"What happened? The girls and I were so worried when you didn't show for school on Tuesday, then again on Wednesday and Thursday." Esther asks, jumping right into questioning.

"Sorry I was taken." Scarlett replies, giving her friend a sad look.

"Yeah that's what Marly expected. She said it was probably Monday evening after you left Katy's place. She said it happened because the barrier is weakening." Esther informs her friend, looking her over.

"I didn't realize the barrier is weakening. Why is that?" Scarlett asks.

"I don't know, but Marly expects it's because of the lack of believers in the world. All the Nine Realms are feeling it, not just Earth." Esther answers, looking worried herself.

"What happens if the barrier weakens further?" Scarlett questions, a sense of dread filling her heart.

"She said there would be chaos. That there will be a huge battle to determine what will happen to the Nine Realms. Asgard and Mount Olympus are becoming stronger each day as they gather their allies. Marly said if this continues, Earth will suffer the most from it." Esther explains, making the brunette's eyes widen.

"What are we going to do?"

"Fight. It's the only thing we can do. Apparently everyday we grow stronger, and the more we use our powers the more we'll be able to control them. The rest of the girls and I started having power practice after school. We've gotten them pretty much nailed. Marly says soon we'll be able to grow our wings."

"Wings? What wings?" Scarlett interrupts the blonde's rambling.

"As guardians we have wings, all five of us. Marly says once we master our powers we'll be able to transform into our guardian form." Esther answers, not offended by the fighter's interruption.

"What do these guardian forms look like?" The dark chocolate hair girl asks.

"I don't know. Marly says we're all very close to transforming though. Once we do, our training is complete and we'll be ready to fight and defend Earth when the war begins." Esther continues, now looking worried at the prospect of war.

"You're worried about the war." Scarlett states in a knowing tone, suddenly able to know what's on her friend's mind after days apart and only knowing each other for a short while.

"Yes. I'm frightened by the idea of war. I've never fought in my life. The worst I do is yell at my brother." Esther admits, looking sadly at the table. "With war there is always death."

Understanding her friend's uneasiness, Scarlett agrees. Avoiding war would be best, but an unlikely option. Though she's fought in many cages, the brunette fighter would prefer not to make Earth her next one.

"How much time till the barrier weakens enough for our enemies to get through?" Scarlett asks, a serious look passing her features.

"Not long. Marly's afraid that when the time comes, she won't live to help us." Esther says in a quiet voice, looking at the brunette with tears in her eyes.

"What do you mean? Of course she has to live to help us! We have no idea what we're doing." Scarlett nearly yells at Esther, controlling her emotions to keep her voice level.

"She has cancer, stage four-colleen cancer. The doctors found it on Wednesday." Esther informs her friend, seeing the shock written on Scarlett's face.

"No! She can't die! We need her." Scarlett snaps at Esther, seeing the blonde flinch at her harsh tone. "Is there anything that can be done?" She asks in a softer voice, watching as Esther shakes her head.

"No. The doctors are giving her till January." Esther says in a quiet voice, looking out the window. "Katy's devastated."

Scarlett stares out the window, unsure how to respond. Watching the people walk past the window and people crossing the sidewalk, a particular lanky boy wearing a brown leather jacket catches the mocha skinned girl's attention. Not doubting what she sees, Scarlett watches as Peter, the boy from the park crosses the street, heading towards Starbucks.

"Want to get out of here?" Scarlett offers, looking at her sad friend, who nods her response.

Standing quickly, Scarlett takes her friend's arm and drags her to the closest exit, thankfully keeping them out of Peter's sight. Standing out on the street, the two look both ways before deciding to go to the mall, only a couple of blocks down. Walking down the street, the girls don't speak, only stare ahead of them unshed tears in their eyes. Reaching into her pocket, Esther pulls out her phone, texting something before putting it away.

"The girls are inside. They wanted to see you too." Esther says a weak smile making its way to her face.

"They're here?" Scarlett asks, unsure why she's not surprised. She sensed the three remaining elements presence near by, but she wasn't confident in her abilities yet.

"Yeah. They're waiting inside Macy's." Esther responds, walking through the double glass doors.

Following behind the blue eye blonde, Scarlett stays on her heels passing various manikins and displays until they reach the exit, leading to the rest of the mall. Leaning against the railing, the three remaining guardians are sitting or leaning against a bench, all on their phones as the two approach.

"Hey guess who I found." Esther says towards the girls, seeing their heads snap up at her voice.

Smiling, the three girls rush towards the fighter, embracing her in a warm group hug. Caught off guard by their friendly assault, Scarlett tenses before she relaxes in their embrace.

"We were so worried about you! We thought you had been killed or something." Audrey says in a dramatic voice, her worry evident on her face.

"I'm ok. Thanks for being worried but I'm fine. Frost Giants ain't got nothing on me." Scarlett says, flexing her muscles for show as the four girls laugh.

"What do you want to do?" Chloe asks, standing beside the fighter on her left, looking around the mall.

"We could go shopping." Audrey suggests enthusiastically, looking like a child at Christmas.

"Sure." Katy says being rather quiet compared to the first time Scarlett met the Asian.

Sensing her sadness, Scarlett silently listens as the group discusses what to do next. Agreeing on shopping the girls make their way down the stairs and towards the main level of the mall.

"So how'd you get out of Jotunheim?" Audrey asks, looping her arm through Scarlett's, not seeing Scarlett's tense posture.

"Loki rescued me." Scarlett says flatly, ignoring the look passing between Audrey and Esther.

Looking ahead, Scarlett's eyes suddenly lock on a boy. No more than eleven with shaggy blonde hair and freckles littering his pink cheeks, Scarlett instantly leaves Audrey's side, running towards the short kid.

"Chase?" Scarlett yells towards the crowd the boy is with, watching as the child turns at the call of his name and the voice that said it.

"Scarlett?" The boy asks his two large front teeth exposed as he opens his mouth in a large smile.

"Chase!" Scarlett yells again, a smile pulling at her cheeks as the young boy rushes towards her, throwing himself in her arms as she falls back.

"Scarlett! What are you doing here Scarlett?" The boy asks, hugging the girl tightly and letting a stream of tears roll down his cheeks. The barely 4'6 child was just as the brunette remembered, his favorite black Camp Grayling hat coverings his shaggy hair, and two large front teeth prominent in his smile.

"I just moved here. What are you doing here?" Scarlett answers, breathing heavily from the kid's impact but holds him tight nevertheless.

"I just moved here too! I got a new family." Chase answers, pulling back allowing the brunette to sit up.

"A new family?" Scarlett repeats, looking at him with affection she has for few people.

"Yeah. They're a lot nicer than the last family." Chase says, looking at the brunette with a large smile on his face.

"Scarlett! Are you alright?" Esther calls to the girl, running up behind her with the three remaining elements in tow.

"Yeah I'm fine Esther." Scarlett answers her, not turning her head. Standing up, Scarlett easily lifts the small boy with her, having to bend her knees to be level with him.

"Who's that?" Chase asks, his voice suddenly sounding small and his smile fading.

"They're my friends. Want to meet them?" Scarlett says, smiling at him warmly. Nodding his head in response, the brunette takes his smaller hand in her small hand and stands, facing her friends. "Guys this is Chase, Chase this is Esther, Chloe, Katy, and Audrey. Guys this is my little brother." Scarlett introduces, seeing the shock on the girls' faces.

"You have a brother?" Katy asks.

"Yeah, we shared the same foster parents once." Scarlett answers, wrapping her arm around the boy and bringing him close to her.

"Hi it's very nice to meet you." Esther greets the shy kid, seeing him try to mold himself against Scarlett's side.

"Hi." He says flatly, looking up towards his sister. "I want you to meet my new family." Chase says happily, pulling on the mocha skin girl's arm and leading her towards a group of boys leaning against the wall. "Scarlett this is Felix, Xander, Jack, Clayton, and Michael." The sandy haired boy introduces the small group to his sister, beaming with pride.

"Russ?" Scarlett exclaims in surprise, the tall boy looking equally shocked.

"Scarlett?" The freckle face dirty blonde hair boy asks, walking towards her and embracing her in a warm hug. Standing close to 5'6, Russ had aged more than the brunette liked to admit. Wearing his favorite black hip-hop hat with colorful graffiti backwards, his single left pierced ear and shining baby blue eyes, some things never changed.

Not flinching at tallboy's embrace, Scarlett wraps her arms around his middle, pulling pack to look at his face. "You've grown since I last saw you."

"Yeah I'm taller than you now Star." Russ beams with satisfaction, smirking as the brunette rolls his eyes.

"Yeah well I'm always going to be older than you so what's your smartass got to say about that?" Scarlett replies, sticking her tongue out at the laughing boy.

Standing about 5'6 at age twelve, Russ now stood three inches taller than his sister, making himself beam with bride. "I'll be just as tall as Joey shortly." Russ says, making the brunette's face fall.

"Where is Joey? Why isn't he with you?" Chase asks at the mention of the trio's oldest family member.

"He died. Three years ago, he O.D. before his seventeenth birthday." Scarlett replies quietly, seeing the two boys face fall as well.

"He's dead." Russ says in a quiet voice, no longer smug.

"Yes. I would've told you sooner but a lot of shit went down after his death and our separation." Scarlett says, her bottom lip quivering at the memories.

"Well we've got each other now. Right? You're not going to leave us again are you?" Chase asks, tears filling his blue eyes.

Bending down to eye level with the eleven year old, Scarlett can see the pain in his sky blue eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. We're going to be a family again. And Joey's always going to be in heaven watching over us." The brown eye girl assures, seeing a smile creep up the freckled boys' cheeks.

Embracing the fighter in a group hug, the three hug each other, each letting a small tear run down their cheek. Forgetting her friends, the remaining boys, and everyone in the mall, Scarlett nearly jumps out of her skin when she hears a familiar English accent.

"Aww, what a lovely sight."

* * *

**So meet Peter everyone! Try to guess his last name… ;) This concludes chapter 9 and soon more of Scarlett's, Chase's, and Russ' history to be revealed. Will Scarlett grow her wings? Thank you all to the fans that have read this story! I'll try to update soon! Feedback greatly appreciated! **


	10. Chapter 10

Snapping her head towards the male voice, Scarlett blushes at the sight of Peter, standing beside Felix and some of the other boys sipping on Starbucks and staring at her intensely.

"Peter, what are you doing here?" Scarlett asks, rising to her feet and standing in front of the two boys.

"It is an open mall is it not?" Peter replies, rising his left eyebrow and smirking at her, a déjà vu moment for the fighter. The brunette rolls her eyes in response. "Chase, Russ you never told me your sister was beautiful." Peter says towards the two boys.

"How do you know my brothers?" Scarlett snaps at him, ignoring his compliment. Making him turn his attention back towards her.

"I've been taking care of them for almost a year." Peter answers, taking a sip from his warm drink.

"Star, how do you two know each other?" Russ asks, looking at his sister and the tall British teen with confusion.

"We just met. This morning, in the park." Scarlett answers, not looking at him, locking brown eyes with green ones.

"She pulled a gun on me." Peter adds, the four girls standing behind the two boys gasp in horror.

"I didn't shoot you. Regrettably." Scarlett mutters towards the pale skin boy.

"Aww don't say that love. I know you find me attractive." The light chestnut hair boy teases, faking hurt at her words.

"Don't flatter yourself." The dark chocolate brunette counters, giving the surprised boy a smirk.

Smiling at her comment, Peter merely smiles at her, making her cheeks flush before she turns away.

"Scarlett, you pulled a gun on him?" Esther asks, looking towards her friend in surprise.

Glaring at Peter, Scarlett turns towards her friends. "Only a small one."

"It was more like a .38." Peter counters, earning a hard smack on the arm from the fighter. "Ok maybe more like a .22 short." He amends his statement, rubbing his reddening arm.

"I didn't shoot him. Even though now I wish I had." Scarlett assures her friend, giving the British a feline smile.

"Oh you are devilish." The teen says, giving her a heated look.

Controlling the blush that threatens to erupt in her cheeks, the brunette returns her focus to her friends, seeing their humored and childish looks of amusement. "Can we reschedule shopping?"

"Sure thing, _darling_." Chloe says giving the brunette a playful smile while the other elements chuckle at the joke.

Blushing bright red at Chloe's words, Scarlett refuses to look at Peter, a shit-eater grin on his face. "I'll see you guys on Monday." The brunette says towards her friends, sending them a small glare, which did little to remedy their fits of laughter.

* * *

Watching her friends make their way to the far side of the mall, the brunette turns her fury towards Peter, seeing his eyebrows rise as her temper explodes.

"What the hell!?" She all but shouts at him, not wanting to draw attention to their group.

"What's the matter love?" Peter asks, giving an innocent smile to the fuming street fighter.

"We need to talk. Now." Scarlett growls through gritted teeth, grabbing the boy's boney arm and dragging him towards the exit.

* * *

Outside on the street, the fighter pulls the amused teen through the crowd, weaving her way through the busy streets until turning and yanking him into an alley with her, shoving his lanky form against the concrete wall.

"What the hell!" She yells at him again, seeing his pleased expression.

"If you wanted me alone love all you had to do was ask." Peter says, his accent making the words come out sexier than Scarlett liked.

"Focus for five seconds!" The brunette snaps at him, making his smile widen.

"Sure darling. What's troubling you?" He asks, leaning against the cool wall and folding his arms across his chest.

"Chase. Russ. This whole goddamn problem that you've protected them for a year when it should've been me!" The fighter yells at him, seeing his face soften at her words.

"Oh that. Don't worry about it love." Peter says, his voice soft.

"Not worry about it? I should've been there for them!" Scarlett screams at him, angry tears forming in the back of her eyes. Fighting to control her temper, the street girl tries to steady her breathing.

Taken back by her explosive confession, Peter looks down at the frustrated teen, seeing a broken girl behind a tough exterior. Uncrossing his arms, the British teen wraps the girl in a hug, pulling her close to his chest. Unable to take it any longer, Scarlett allows the strange boy to hold her, let her cry her problems out as he gentle sways them back in forth to an unheard song. Not wanting to seem vulnerable, Scarlett pulls away from him, wiping her wet eyes and looking disgusted with herself.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to become a mess of feelings on you." She says in her husky voice.

"It's fine. Are you alright?" Peter asks, genuinely concerned for the girl in front of him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." Scarlett replies, giving him a weak smile as a remaining tear slides down her cheek.

Wiping the warm liquid away, Peter's boney fingers linger on her cheek. Blushing like crazy at his action, the fighter takes a step back, motioning towards the street. "We should get back to the boys."

"Yeah, we should." The British native agrees, neither moving.

Staring at each other, Scarlett begins to scrutinize every detail on the pale boy's face. Beautiful light green-blue eyes, round cheeks, a small nose, and large ears make the young man in front of her appear more like a boy then the teen she assumes he is. Taking in the rest of his form long legs, long arms with long boney fingers covered in pale skin. His shoulders are broad, not overly huge for his frame, his chest felt firm when she leaned against it. His light chestnut hair is still spiked up, complimenting his overall appearance. Finding him attractive, Scarlett can't help think of an alabaster skin, inky hair, 6'2 god that has given his heart to her.

_But we're so different. It will never work. I'll never see him again anyways._ The fighter's inner voice reasons with her. It's true. Her time in Asgard proved that Loki and she were from two very different worlds. _I'm never going to be able to live the way he does._ With those thoughts in mind, Scarlett banishes Loki's face from her mind, focusing on the deep in thought teen in front of her.

To call the dark chocolate brunette anything less than beautiful would be an understatement. In all his years of being alone, Peter never gave much thought to girls, particularly aspiring women. Now at the age of eighteen, the boy had little time for such thoughts, focusing more on surviving a cruel world in a different country with few friends. Since meeting the feisty girl, his feelings began to slowly change. He never once thought a woman, let alone teen, pretty, but now staring into the golden brown eyes of the fighter in front of him, feelings begin to stir deep inside his heart, memories of his mother surfacing in his mind. Having been separated from her since he was eight years old, Peter had given her a lot of thought before deciding to forget about her. Now standing before the mocha-skinned girl, memories of his mother begin to slowly return to him. Remembering her own dark brown hair, a lighter shade than Scarlett's, and her olive skin, Peter begins to see connections between his mother and Scarlett. Both energetic young ladies who didn't need anyone to protect them, Scarlett's attitude and spirit remind him a lot of his mother before her abandonment.

_Snap out of it Peter! You've never liked a girl before! You've never needed a girl before! What makes her so different?_ Peter's inner voice scolds his feelings, making the light brunette feel ashamed of his emotions. _But she resembles so much of mum. Her looks, her attitude, her spirit. Everything. And you know you've been alone for far too long._

Neither heard the stomping of feet, and the cries of voices searching for the couple. Stumbling upon the two, Chase, Russ, Felix, and the remaining boys are stunned silent at the picture before them. Green eyes meeting brown eyes, each looking into the other searching for answers inside their own heads and hearts. Neither understanding nor knowing the other, but both feel the connection they share.

"Peter? Scarlett?" Chase's small voice breaks the spell holding the two together.

Two heads snapping towards the gathered audience both teens look surprised at the group's appearance.

"We want to show you our new home." Russ says towards his sister.

Nodding in response, Scarlett makes her way towards the group of boys, seeing the ones unknown to her back away slightly.

"Peter you coming?" The blonde hair male known as Felix asks looking towards his friend in worry.

"Yes. Boys you better be courtesy to our guest." Peter says in a stern voice, making the other boys nod their heads in response.

Following Peter and his group, Scarlett allows Chase lead her ahead of the others, Russ running beside them as they lead her deep into the heart of the south side.

* * *

The building Peter and his boys call "home" is a large, abandon warehouse a couple blocks from the park. Inside, the main open area is setup as a playground of sorts. Monkey bars, jungle gym, swings, slides, and other equipment set up in the open area. There are mats, a moon bounce, and other blowups set up in the far side of the room. Above, a second floor runs around the perimeter of the open space, doors leading to various corridors, hallways, and rooms extending from the second and first floor.

"I want to show you our room! You'll love it!" Russ says, grabbing the fighter's small hand leading her towards a large double iron door.

Inside the hallway there are various doors and hallways extending from it, walking through several hallways, the shaggy blonde boy pushes open a door, leading into a large bedroom with two twin beds, two desks, two dressers, a large closet, and a bathroom. Clothes, shoes, books, toys, and food litter the stained carpet. A large curtain and several boxes block the only window. Posters of Metallica, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, and other bands cover the walls, impossible to see the original color.

"I see your taste in music hasn't changed." Scarlett points to the posters, having introduced the boys to a lot of the musicians.

"Look Star! Peter got this for my birthday!" Chase says, rushing towards his bed and pulling out a guitar from underneath it. "Felix is teaching me how to play."

"That's sweet of him." The brunette says, taking the guitar from Chase's outstretched arm and strumming a few chords.

"Can you play?" Russ asks, sitting down next to Chase on his bed, looking towards his sister with expectant eyes.

"I haven't played in awhile." Scarlett admits, sitting on one of the desks, crossing her legs and setting the large acoustic guitar in her lap.

"Please! You and Joey used to play all the time!" Chase and Russ beg in unison, looking at her with puppy-dog eyes.

"Ok, ok. Let's see which songs I remember." Scarlett caves, strumming the guitar a couple of more times before remembering the notes. Beginning a slow tune, the fighter begins to hum the song. "_I said I wanna touch the earth, I want to break it in my hands, I want to grow something wild and unruly. I want to sleep on hard ground, in the comfort of your arms. On a pillow of bluebonnets and a blanket made of stars oh it sounds so good to me. I said cowboy take me away. Fly this girl as high as you can into the wild blue. Set me free oh I pray. Closer to heaven above and closer to you, closer to you._" The brunette sings, her voice rising in volume and power as she sings, gaining more confidence.

Watching their sister play, the two boys are hypnotized by her lovely voice, memories of dark snowy nights in Michigan where they used to sing and play music all night. Memories of Joey, their brother, surface in their minds. Memories of Scarlett's warm smile and powerful voice. Standing in the doorframe of the room, arms crossed and a look of awe on his face, the two kids had never seen Peter so relaxed, calm, and happy? Stopping her singing, the brunette just plays the song on guitar, humming occasionally when she remembers more of the words. Continuing to play as much as she remembers, the brunette makes it through the entire song, with little mistakes.

"That was lovely. I didn't realize you sing." Peter's rich voice brings Scarlett out of her bubble, looking at him with a flush on her face.

"I don't. It's just an old song." Scarlett corrects, looking at his genuinely happy smile.

"Will you stay for dinner?" The Brit asks, making the two boys on the bed look at her expectantly.

"Sure, why not." The American replies, seeing her brothers leap off the bed to embrace her in a lung-crushing hug.

"Good, it's settled. I'll have the boys set another place at the table." Peter says, leaving the heart-warming sight before him.

* * *

The dinning room was nothing what the street fighter had expected. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, recently polished. Large, red, velvet curtains lined the tall windows around the room, allowing in the November sunset. A large dark cherry dinning table is prepared with silver plates, glasses, and silverware. Artwork of the New York City, Los Angeles, and Houston decorate the walls.

Upon entering the room, Scarlett can see more than just the six or so boys who she met at the mall. There are at least twenty of them, not counting her two brothers, Peter, and Felix, who the last two wait by the head of the table Peter, who changed into a more formal dark blue polo shirt. Feeling slightly underdressed; wearing her holey faded blue jeans with black combat boots, grey tank top and worn out black leather jacket. Seeing Peter standing at the opposite side of the room, looking at her with such a heated stare, the brunette feels heat rising in her cheeks. Walking around the right side of the table, the brunette stands face to face with Peter and Felix, Chase and Russ standing beside her.

"Please, have a seat." Peter says in a friendly tone, smiling a breath-taking smile that makes Scarlett's muscle tense.

Sitting down in the pulled out chair presented to her, Scarlett sits beside Peter on his left, Felix sitting down on his right, across from the flushed street girl. Nodding his head, Chase, Russ, and the remaining boys pull out their own seats, each diving into the meal.

"Chase!" Scarlett scolds her youngest brother, sitting between herself and Russ. "You get to say grace, you reached for the food first."

Retracting their hands, the other boys place their hands in their lap, looking worriedly towards Peter. Ignoring the brunette's look of confusion, Scarlett gives Chase a firm glare, making him fold his hands together and bow his head. Following suit, the entire table bows their head quietly, waiting expectantly for Chase to speak.

"Dear heavenly Father, thank you for this meal. Thank you for the safe return of my sister. Thank you for protecting Joey and thank you for blessing me and Russ with Peter's safety and hospitality. Amen." The eleven year old prays, everyone at the table saying an "amen" once he's finished.

Digging into the meal, mild chatter and laughter quickly begins to dominate the evening. Looking at the fighter the majority of the time, Scarlett can feel Peter's eyes burning into her skin. Not deterred, the fighter continues to converse with her brothers and their friends. Soon the door to the dinning room burst open and in walks a woman. Her bleach blonde hair is pulled up into a tight bun, and she wears a light green mini skirt that barely covers her rear with a white sparkly top. Her light blue eyes are burning with anger, her stance showing just how upset she is. Stalking towards the end of the table, ignoring most of the boys, the tall woman stands directly beside Peter, glaring daggers into his boyish face.

"What the hell Peter!" She growls at him, a British accent heavy in her voice.

"Relax Bell. Sit. Eat. Drink." Peter says nonchalantly, motioning towards the empty seat next to Felix.

"Why is she here?" Bell asks, sending an icy glare towards the street fighter who moves protectively towards her brother, sending the woman an equally fierce glare in return.

"That's non of your concern, Bell." Peter snaps at her, glaring at the enraged woman.

Letting out a loud and exaggerated huff, Bell takes a seat next to Felix, ignoring the snickering looks from the other boys. Sending them a hateful glare instantly makes them shut up.

* * *

After dinner, Chase and Russ lead Scarlett throughout the rest of the building. Although from the outside it appears to be a warehouse, it actually has a five-story building attached to it, closed off by two large iron doors that have poison symbols on it. Leading her through the large open play area, Chase and Russ sit Scarlett down on one of the cushioned blocks, placing Chase's new guitar in her lap.

"Play some more." Chase urges, other boys gathering around the area to watch the scene-taking place.

"Chase." Scarlett scolds, not wanting to draw more attention to herself than necessary.

"Please! You used to all the time after dinner!" Russ argues, sitting down next to the brunette.

"Fine, but only a few." Scarlett says in a matter-of-fact voice, placing her fingers on the strings and beginning to strum a few chords.

Unsure which song to sing, the brunette merely strums a few chords, testing her abilities. Finding a song she remembers, a bittersweet smile spreads across the fighter's full red lips. Beginning to play, Scarlett allows herself to sing the song, one of many songs that sung her to sleep as a baby.

"_I felt the rush of the Rio Grande into Yellowstone and I've seen first-hand Niagara Falls, and the lights of Vegas. I've criss-crossed down to Key Biscayane and Chi-town via Bangor, Maine think I've seen it all, and all I can say is. How 'bout them cowgirls, boys ain't they somethin'. Sure are some proud girls and you can't tell them nothin'. And I tell you right now girls may just be seven wonders of this big, old round world, but how 'bout them cowgirls. She's ridin' colts in Steamboat Springs, bailing hay outside Abilene, she's trying hard to fit in some city. But her home is 'neath that big, blue sky and the Northern Plains and those other wide-open spaces. Nowadays there ain't as many. How 'bout them cowgirls, boys ain't they somethin' sure are some proud girls and you can't tell them nothin'. And I tell you right now girls may just be seven wonders of this big, old round world, but how 'bout them cowgirls. Boy, she don't need you and she don't need me she can do just fine on her own two feet. But she wants a man who wants her to be herself. And she'll never change, don't know how to hide her stubborn will or her fightin' side. But you treat her right and she'll love you like no one else. Yeah, how 'bout them cowgirls boys ain't they somethin'. Sure are some proud girls but you can't beat their lovin' and I'll tell you right now girls may just be seven wonders of this big, old round world. But how 'bout them cowgirls._" Scarlett sings in a soft voice, the other boys gathering around her to lie down on the soft mats. Looking up, Scarlett locks eyes with Peter's green ones, listening to her sing near the doorway of the large open room. Blushing, Scarlett quickly moves into a new song, smiling at Peter's childish look of amusement.

"_You look like Georgia on a cool summer day, your smile hits me like a breeze blowing off the lake. You talk like Kansas, you can see to the horizon there's no place for the words to hide cause you mean what you say. Mean what you say. Got a heart like Indiana, laugh like Louisiana, take me down to Alabama show me some of that laid back vibe, kissin' while we're fishing in the moonlight. Shine like California, high like an Arizona noontime baby when you're all mine. Anywhere anyplace I go, you feel like home to me, you feel like home to me. Love's taken me across the map, all the way to hell and back. Gave everything I had. Lost my mind a couple of times met you and I was sure, I found the center of the universe. Hit the interstate fast now I'm never lookin' back, no lookin' back oh no…Got a heart like Indiana, laugh like Louisiana, take me down to Alabama show me some of that laid back vibe, kissin' while we fishing in the moonlight. Shine like California, high like an Arizona noontime baby when you're all mine. Anywhere anyplace I go. You feel like home to me, you feel like home to me. You feel like home. Got a heart like Indiana, laugh like Louisiana, take me down to Alabama show me some of that laid back vibe, kissin' while we fishing in the moonlight. Shine like California, high like an Arizona noontime baby when you're all mine. Anywhere, anyplace I go. You feel like home to me, you feel like home to me._" The brunette sings, her voice creating a calm atmosphere to the usually chaotic room. Staring at Peter the entire duration the song, Scarlett refuses to submit to his intense gaze.

Looking around the room, Peter sees all his boys sprawled out around the singing brunette, her mocha skin glowing in the sunset light streaming in through the open windows. Chase and Russ, both sitting by her sides, are lazily looking at her through tired eyes, making them lie down and listen to her voice. Smiling at the sight, Peter walks over towards the brunette, seeing his boys lulled into a coma.

Craning her neck to look up at the Brit's tall frame, Scarlett gently rests the guitar on the floor, turning her body around to face the chestnut hair boy. "I should call Dom and tell him not to worry about me." Scarlett says in a quiet voice, capturing Peter's full attention.

Nodding his head, the pale boy picks up the guitar from the floor, extending his hand to assist the brunette. Placing her small hand in his long fingers, the fighter allows the lanky boy to pull her to her feet, standing chest to chest with him. Breathing heavily, both look into each other's gaze, knowing they share a connection neither wants to admit. Breaking eye contact first, Scarlett walks away, heading towards a private corner and calling Dom's number from her cell.

Seeing her walk away, Peter moves the guitar out of harm's way, grabbing his musical pipes and sitting down where the brunette once sat. Gently blowing air across the opening, the British teen begins to play a soothing melody, lulling the boys further into slumber. Looking towards the fighter, Peter can see her talking on the phone, her face contorted between sadness and anger. Unable to hear her words, the green eye boy continues to play his music, waiting until the last boy falls asleep then stops.

* * *

Explaining to Dom the situation was harder then Scarlett initially thought. After much arguing and compromising, Dom had agreed to let her spend the night with her brothers, warning her if she wasn't home by ten on Sunday morning he was sending the team to get her. Accepting his terms, Scarlett instantly hung up, walking back towards Peter. Hearing him play the flute or pipe instrument, Scarlett listens until he stops playing, smiling at Chase and Russ' sleeping forms by his feet.

"Looks like I'll be spending tonight in your company." Scarlett says, walking up behind the lanky boy and looking at the sleeping children around them

"Excellent." Peter replies, giving her a mischievous smile.

Leaning forward and tapping Chase's shoulder, Scarlett easily lifts the small boy into her arms, wanting to return him to his room. Understanding what she's doing, Peter shakes Russ into a somewhat conscious state, leading him towards his room behind the brunette. Placing the curly hair boy into his bed and covering him up, Scarlett kisses his forehead, removing his black ball cap and laying it on the desk. Walking over to wear Russ had fallen into bed with the help of Peter, Scarlett pulls the blankets over his sleeping form, kissing his cheek and removing his hat as well.

Turning off the light before leaving, Scarlett follows Peter through the hallways and corridors that connect the large warehouse and the building next door. Leading up her the stairway, the skinny boy opens the door to the rooftop, giving Scarlett his hand to help her up through the trap door. Standing up on the roof, Scarlett can see the entire city laid out before them. Although not a tall skyscraper, the rough has a great view of the park, downtown, and the rougher neighborhoods boarding Neverland.

"It's beautiful." The brunette whispers, turning in circles to see the whole seen.

"I agree. It is one thing about America, England doesn't particular have. A beautiful sky." Peter says, motioning towards the large cloudless sky.

"If you think this is large wait till you see Wyoming or Montana. They don't call them 'big sky country' for nothing." Scarlett counters, showing off her pearly whites as he returns the smile.

"I'd greatly like to visit those states." The brunette agrees, looking at the traffic below.

Nodding her head, Scarlett walks towards the edge, looking down at the lanes of traffic backed up because of construction down the way. Although nothing like Asgard's golden buildings, the city still takes the fighter's breath away. Although nothing compares to the sparkling lights of _her_ city, the city of New York or the desert city of Los Angeles, Diamond City was becoming a close third. Feeling Peter's presence behind her, Scarlett allows the teen to let his chest lightly brush against her shoulder, knowing he's staring at the city too. Neither moving, both are content to stay there, the quietness speaking louder than words.

* * *

**Don't hate me, but I don't think Scarlett and Loki will work out! *****Gasp* Maybe she and Peter have more in common than meets the eye? Anyways thank you so much to all the fans that have taken the time to read this story! It means the world to me! Feedback is always welcomed! If you haven't guess Peter is similar to Peter Pan (my favorite hero/villain depending which Peter Pan you're referring to) and the male mentioned in this story is not going to be as Disney friendly as the 1953 Peter Pan. Think more of Robbie Kay than Jeremy Sumter. Thanks! **


	11. Chapter 11

"When are you going to tell me more about yourself?" Peter asks.

"When you're going to tell me more about you." Scarlett counters, turning around to face him, seeing his eyes sparkle with amusement.

"I was born in Lymington, England." Peter answers truthfully, watching the brunette's masked eyes. "My mother was English-American and my father was of Welsh decent. I am an only child. Bell is my godmother, she's watched over me since my mother's abandonment."

"I was born on the backseat of a Greyhound Bus." Scarlett begins, looking at Peter's eyes intensely. "My mom was Italian-Russian-Austrian-Chinese decent and my father is Irish-Brazilian-Greek decent. I am an only child. I met Joey, Chase, and Russ when I was ten years old. I was separated from them at twelve, and Joey died soon after that."

"My father was a Special Ops Mercenary Major of the Special Air Service, he was dishonorable discharged after I was born." The lanky boy continues.

"My father is a mechanic turned street racer, spent two years in Lompoc prison before he met me." The sunkissed skin girl admits.

"I was sent to anger-management for beating up two boys." The light brown hair boy confesses, seeing no sign of judgment behind Scarlett's brown eyes.

"I went to juvie a couple times for different crimes before I met Joey, Chase, and Russ." The fighter says, seeing Peter's eyes flicker with curiosity. "Boosting cars, assault, and illegal street fighting."

"You race?" Peter asks, looking at the shorter teen quizzically.

"Not since moving here. In L.A. I did. I moved away from the street fights after no one would challenge me." Scarlett replies softly.

"You were that good?"

"No. Cause my father was Dominic Gambino. He'll kill anyone who lays a hand on me. But I can hold my own." The brunette says in a proud voice. "Why did you come to America?"

"My mum left my father. I think I broke her heart because I reminded her of him." Peter says in a quiet voice, a wave a hurt washing over his boyish features.

"Is that why she abandoned you?" The brunette presses, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Yes. I think I reminded her too much of her past." The lanky boy admits, looking at Scarlett with an unreadable expression. "Why did you mom leave you?"

"She didn't, she was murdered. When I was five, outside our apartment building in Brooklyn." Scarlett replies, fighting back tears.

"I'm sorry." The surprised boy replies.

"Don't be. I hate pity. What happened happened. It's done. No need to cry over something unchangeable." The fighter says in a bitter tone, used to hearing the sentiments from people who didn't even know her mom.

"I understand. I despise pity too, in all its forms." Peter agrees with the fighter, seeing more clearly a broken girl who had to grow tough or give up. "Life is a game, you're out real quick if you don't know how to play."

"It's a sick game." Scarlett chuckles darkly, earning a grin from the mischievous male in front of him.

"C'mon let's get some sleep. Probably going to catch a cold standing out here any longer." Peter says, taking the brunette's hand and leading her towards the exit.

"Thank you, for showing me this place. It's lovely." The street girl says, motioning towards the rooftop.

"My pleasure." Peter replies, giving her a playful smile that made her blush.

Helping her the last few steps of the climb down, Peter leads the brunette through the dark halls, opening a door leading to a candle lit room decorated with trees, bushes, vines, leaves, and other jungle looking plants. On the far side of the room is a large window, showing off the view of the city. Across from the window is a large hammock/bed, hanging from the ceiling like a swing. Blankets and pillows fill the large hammock bed making it look even more desirable to the drowsy fighter. The candles that give off a soft glow to the room are placed in different torches, bowls, and holders adding to the jungle themed room.

"I'll fetch you something to wear." Peter says, leaving the brunette to explore the room while he disappears through some of the bushes.

Looking around the room, the fighter begins to investigate her new surroundings. Walking over to the large window, Scarlett sees the same view she had previously seeing a floor above this one, cars, lights, and people making their way through the dark night. Returning to the open room, the pale boy watches the fighter look out the window, the glow from the candles and outside street lights illuminating parts of her face.

"Here, put this on. You'll be more comfortable." Peter says, throwing the brunette a large green t-shirt.

"Thanks." Scarlett replies, looking around the room for a place to change.

"Bathroom's through those bushes." Peter says, motioning to where he just returned.

Nodding her head, Scarlett follows his pointed finger through the bushes and into a large bathroom. There are more plants in the room, white marble floors and granite countertops compliment the dark green leaves. Dark cherry cabinets, a small linen closet, a walk-in closet, a closed off shower, and an old fashion separate bathtub fill the space not occupied by plants. The toilet can be seen in a small separate room, leaves used as a barrier instead of a door. Unzipping her jacket, the street fighter changes into the green shirt, easily reaching her mid-thigh. Walking back out to the open space, Scarlett watches Peter blow out some of the candles, darkening the room. He also has drawn a curtain across the window, blocking out some of the light from the outside.

"The bed is yours. Sleep well." Peter says his back towards the fighter, making his way towards the door.

"Where are you going to sleep if I'm taking your bed?" Scarlett asks, making the light brunette stop in his tracks.

"Don't worry about me love. Get a good night's rest and we'll talk in the morning." Peter assures her, giving her a warm smile.

Not accepting his answer, but not wanting to fight, Scarlett climbs into the hanging bed, throwing her clothes on the floor beneath it. Settling down, the brunette watches as the pale boy makes his way towards her, tucking her in.

"Good night, Scarlett-rose." Peter whispers in her ear, making the brunette shiver.

"Scarlett-rose?"

"Because, every _red _rose has its thorn." The deep drawl of Peter's accent replies, mentioning Poison's famous song _Every Rose Has Its Thorn_.

Smiling at his words, Scarlett leans forward slightly to brush her lips across his pale cheek, kissing the warm skin. "Good night, Peter." The brunette whispers, making the Brit's cheeks redden.

Pulling back, Peter looks down at Scarlett's closed eyes and relaxed form, noticing the way her chest raises in falls to her steady breaths. Blowing out the last candle, the British native leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

"_Are you certain?" Loki's soft voice asks the brunette._

_It's her last night in Asgard, and the New York City fighter feels certain she's ready to give herself fully to the bare-chested god lying on top of her. Nodding her head, the brunette allows the god to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. Suddenly a wave of uncertainty rises in her, making her body stop and her muscles tense._

"_What's the matter?" Loki's voice asks in a gentle tone, stroking the brunette's sweaty face._

"_I can't. I'm sorry. I'm-" The fighter tries to speak, unable to form coherent words. Her body seems to be fighting with her head. Attempting to will herself to remain calm, the brunette's instincts refuse to let her enjoy the last night with the prince._

"_Shh, it's alright. You don't have to." Loki assures the unsure brunette, seeing her muscles relax when he moves to her side._

"_I'm sorry. I can't." the brunette repeats, ashamed of herself for getting so worked up._

"_It's alright. Besides I don't think mother or father would approve of me taking your innocence before marriage." Loki says to the tan girl, trying to calm her._

"_Thank you for being so understanding." The brunette says towards the inky hair god, rolling over to lie by his side._

_Nodding his head, Loki lets the dark chocolate hair girl sleep against his chest._

* * *

Gasping and sitting upright in bed, Scarlett immediately looks around the room, realizing she is not in Loki's golden room or her own room. Seeing the plants and trees decorating the room, Scarlett remembers the events since she's returned home from Asgard. Lying back in bed, Scarlett can see the darkness of the city outside, past the slightly ajar drapes. Falling back asleep, the fighter wills herself to not think of Loki.

* * *

"_You're dreaming of me, how sweet." Loki's velvety voice echoes in her sleep, making the brunette's muscle tense._

"_What are you doing here? How did you get into my dreams?" Scarlett demands, her voice hard and eyes scanning the open space she finds herself._

"_Because we're connected. The Unity Lantern we lit connects us." Loki's voice says directly behind the fighter's ear, making her whirl around sending her fist to connect with his jaw. _

_Appearing before the petite girl, Loki rubs his aching jaw, fury in his eyes. "Why did you do that?" He demands, his voice no longer sweet. _

_"Why are you invading me dreams?" Scarlett counters, her anger growing._

"_Why are you spending the night with this 'Peter' fellow?" Loki growls back, possessiveness flashing in his eyes._

"_That's non of your goddamn business." The infuriated street fighter snaps at the god, seeing his eyes darken at her reluctance to explain._

"_Tell me now! Or I shall visit your pathetic mortal myself." Loki threatens, standing closer to the brunette making her tilt her head to look him in the eye._

"_What is your problem? What's wrong?" Scarlett asks, her eyes narrowing at his childish behavior. "You can't tell me who I can and cannot see."_

"Do you love this Peter person?" Loki asks, his voice calm, making the brunette clutch her fists together.

"_Why would I love him I just met him?" Scarlett counters, glaring at the man she thought she knew in front of her._

"_Would you love me if I was a monster?" Loki asks, a growl emitting from his throat._

"_What are you talking about? You're not a monster." Scarlett replies, her gut twisting in anticipation of what the god before her is going to do next._

"_I'm the monster parents tell their children at night. I'm the monster that Odin has tried to destroy. I'm the monster who was sent to kidnap you!" Loki growls at the brunette, seeing her eyes widen in shock._

"_You sent the Frost Giant to kidnap me?" She asks him, hurt in her voice and evident on her face._

_Ignoring her words, Loki begins to pace in front of her, hands clasp behind his back. _

"_Loki, did you send the Frost Giant to kidnap me?" Scarlett stops the green eye god's pacing, holding her hand up to stop his movement._

_Sighing, Loki looks down, moving his hands in front of him. Slowly, a blue hue begins to crawl up his alabaster skin, covering his entire bare skin and soon his neck and face. Stepping back from Loki, Scarlett instinctively stands at a defensive pose, ready to strike at any moment. Suddenly the pale skin, green eye god is transformed into a blue skin, bright red eye Frost Giant. Loki matches the same Frost Giant that had kidnapped her almost a week ago. Fear suddenly racing through her blood, Scarlett instinctively steps back, looking at Loki with a new found fear and hate._

"I am the Frost Giant that kidnapped you." Loki answers her previous question, a sick smile on his face.

"_Why?" Scarlett asks, a heartbreaking look crossing her face. "Why would you do that then rescue me?" _

"_Because, I needed the element of water." Loki chuckles darkly at her, seeing her eyes water slightly at his words. "I needed your powers."_

_"So falling in love with me was a lie. Everything you said was a lie." Scarlett says in a small voice, unable to hide her hurt._

"_What do you think, dear? That a Prince of Asgard, the soon-to-be king, a god, would fall for a mortal such as you? Please, don't insult my dignity." Loki replies in a venomous tone, making the brunette flinch at his cruel words._

"_You used me! For what?" Scarlett asks in a quiet voice, not meeting his eyes._

"_I needed you for my last alliance. Olympus and Asgard will go to war, and when they do I will see to it that Odin falls in battle, and I will become king. Lord Hades has guaranteed me troops, supplies, and Odin's death." Loki says in a sick voice, making the brunette's heart ache even more._

"_You'll kill you father, for the crown?" _

"_Odin was never my father! He favored Thor over me, never took the time to be with me like he did Thor! He always gave Thor all the attention and let me stand in his shadow!" Loki snaps at the hurt girl, his anger boiling at the mention of Odin._

"_Why did you need me to secure your alliance with Hades?" Scarlett asks, taking Loki's attention away from Odin._

_Smiling a devilish smile at the brunette, Loki walks closer to her, but the brunette stands her ground. "Because, you have more power than the other elements. When Diana was pregnant with you she fell ill. Athena, Hades' wife, took pity on Athena, foreseeing that her child would do great things in her life. She asked Hades to spare Diana's life and heal her. As tradition, if a mortal finds favor in the gods, the baby will be blessed. Diana and you both found favor in Athena, Hades, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Zeus, and Hera. As the rulers of Mount Olympus, and the six most powerful gods they protected you, adopting you essentially as a princess of Asgard. That story you read in my library, that story is about you. If you had turned the page you would see the list of the royal family of Olympus. Your name is the last entry." The god of lies says in a calm voice, a devilish smile creeping up his face. "You could read my thoughts and feel my feelings not because we were connected, but because you're empathic telekinesis. Because all of the gods of Mount Olympus blessed you, your powers extend far from just your elemental powers like your friends. You are something much greater than that." _

"_If that's the case, Loki." Scarlett says in a whisper, feeling her anger boiling. "I'll never help you. Whatever deal you've made with Hades I refuse to be a part of." The brunette growls at him, her eyes glowing a scarlet red. Rising in the air, the petite brunette suddenly rises taller than the 6'2 god, her anger obvious. _

_Taken back slightly be her outburst, Loki suddenly realizes his mistake. Underestimating her abilities, Loki suddenly finds himself on the receiving end of her fury, which could match that of Hades._

"_If you ever come near me again, I will not hesitate to slit your throat. God, prince, or whatever you are, consider us done." Scarlett growls at the emerald eye prince, using all her will power to wake up from this nightmare._

* * *

Sitting up right in bed for a second time, Scarlett looks around the jungle like room. The moon has set and sunrise is near. Leaving the warm confines of the blankets, Scarlett climbs the stairs back up to the roof, watching the sun slowly rise through the space between the buildings. Wrapping her arms around her body, Scarlett continues to stare at the orange ball of fire growing brighter as it rises.

"What are you doing up so early?" Peter's playful reaches Scarlett's ears.

"I could ask you the same question." The brunette replies in a soft voice.

"I enjoy the peacefulness that comes with sunrise. The dawn of a new day." Peter admits, standing next to the brunette and noticing her goosebumps. Handing her his black American Eagle sweatshirt, Scarlett takes it with a small thank you.

"Did you sleep well?" Scarlett asks, breaking the silence.

"Fine. Yourself?"

"Fine." The brunette answers, the memories of her dream and confrontation still fresh in her mind.

"Hungry?" Peter asks, his eyes carrying a boyish mischief to it.

"Sure. What's for breakfast?" Scarlett asks, taking Peter's outstretched hand as he leads them back through the rooftop door, down the staircase, and back towards the main building.

* * *

Entering the kitchen, Scarlett scans the room, seeing piles of dirty dishes and unwashed pots and pans.

"Do you guys ever clean?" The brunette asks, motioning towards the mountain of dishes.

"At the end of the day, but since we had a guest last night I decided the boys could be excused from chores, temporarily." Peter says, walking towards the large stainless steel fridge and rummaging through the contents inside.

Hoisting herself to sit on the counter, Scarlett watches Peter pull out some ingredients from the refrigerator. "¿Qué estás haciendo, el chef Peter?" The brunette asks in Spanish, seeing a smile spread on the lanky boy's face.

"Eggs and bacon. Meet your fancy, Senorita?" Peter replies, smiling a genuine smile at Scarlett's light giggle.

"You need to roll your R's." The brunette says between giggles, making Peter's smile widen more.

"Maybe you could teach me some Spanish?" The light brown hair boy says, grabbing a clean pan and turning on the stove.

"What's your real name?" The dark brunette asks suddenly, making Peter give her a confused look. "I know it's not 'Peter'. Be honest."

"Robbie, a nickname for Robert." Robbie says, turning his attention back to cooking the eggs. "How did you know Peter wasn't my real name?"

"Because, I saw the book, _Peter and Wendy_ in your room." Scarlett answers, making Robbie grin.

"You were snooping." He says more as a statement than question.

"Investigating. Did you honestly think I wouldn't?" Scarlett replies, grabbing a green able from behind her and taking a large bit out of it. "Peter Pan is my favorite fairytale."

Turning his head slightly to see her sitting form, Robbie smiles at the brunette, seeing her continuing to eat her apple. "My mother read me the stories many times as a child." Robbie admits, seeing Scarlett smile at him.

"Is breakfast almost ready?" The dark brunette asks, straining her head to see the cooking food on the stove.

"Yes it is. Grab a plate." The light brunette says, accepting the plate Scarlett extends to him, filling it with eggs, bacon, and some tomatoes.

"Smells delicious." The mocha skin girl compliments, walking to sit back on the counter, finding a clean fork in one of the drawers.

"I hope it tastes just as good." Robbie says, taking a bit of his own food. Eating in silence, the lanky brunette moves to stand beside the street fighter, eyeing her quietly.

"Star? Peter?" Chase and Russ's voice call to the couple, the two boys entering the kitchen.

"Hey boys! There're some extra eggs, bacon, and tomatoes left on the stove if you want it." Robbie greets the boys, motioning towards the cooling food.

The two boys rush towards the stove, each grabbing a plate and loading it with food. Moving to lean against the counters opposite of the couple, the four eat in silence, each enjoying the food.

"Would you boys be interested in meeting Dom and my family?" Scarlett asks, looking towards her brothers.

"Sure. We'd love to." Russ says, answering for both of them as Chase finishes stuffing his mouth.

"Great. We're having a barbeque this afternoon. You're welcomed to join us." The street racer offers, looking at Robbie.

"I'd love to, thanks." The pale boy replies, giving the brunette a warm smile.

"I've got to get home before Dom sends the team." Scarlett says, jumping off the counter and rinsing her plate off in the sink. "Thank you for breakfast. Come over around 4:30."

"Sure thing, darling." Robbie says towards the girl, watching her walk back towards his room to change out of his shirt.

* * *

Leaving Chase and Russ was harder than Scarlett imagined, hugging them goodbye and making them promise to come to dinner. Walking down the streets of Neverland, Scarlett takes the bus back towards the west side, thinking about her dream and Loki's hateful words.

Arriving a few blocks from her neighborhood, Scarlett makes the short walk towards her house, walking through the unlocked front door.

"Hey Dom I'm back!" The brunette shouts in the quiet household, walking towards the kitchen in the back. "Dom? Mia? Brian?"

"Hello Scarlett." Loki's silky voice echoes in the room, making the brunette draw her gun in a blink. "That won't work on me."

"It'll hurt like hell either way." Scarlett growls, seeing the prince's tall form standing in the middle of her kitchen, Dom, Mia, and Brian's unconscious bodies lying around him. "What did you do?"

"It's a temporary sleeping spell. It will keep them unconscious until I leave. It's not fatal." Loki assures the brunette, seeing her eyes flash with hate.

"Get out."

"No. Not until we talk." Loki replies, his eyes hardening.

"There's nothing to say. You used me, manipulated me, lied to me, and now you've threatened my family. I've got nothing to say to you except go to hell." Scarlett growls at the demi-god, stalking towards him gun raise. "How did you find me?"

"The ring I gave you. It has a tracker in it." Loki explains, motioning towards the silver ring on the brunette's finger.

Removing the silver piece of jewelry, Scarlett throws it in the air, sending a glowing blue burst of magic to deform the ring, then throwing it at Loki's face. "Take it. I don't want it."

"But it's my gift to you." Loki says, looking hurt.

"I don't want anything to do with you. I hate you! You're a lying bastard and I wish all the flames of hell to torture you pathetic soul for eternity." The brunette spits at him, a look of pure hatred in her eyes. "You picked the wrong girl to fuck with." The fighter whispers, firing her gun.

* * *

**Obviously Loki found out about his true heritage. Poor Scarlett, being manipulated by the god of lies. Now Loki's the bad guy. Will this push Scarlett closer to Robbie (Peter)? Sorry for anyone who likes Loki being good, but he's not. He's a bad guy and since I'm using Loki from the Avengers (haven't seen Thor 2 yet to see his redemption) please bear with me for now. Also more of the other Elements, Robbie, and Scarlett's powers to come! Thanks! Feedback always appreciated! **


	12. Chapter 12

The bullet left her gun in a blink of an eye, colliding with the leather armor protecting Loki's pale skin. Hissing in pain, the god glares at the brunette. Not deterred by his menacing stare, Scarlett fires three more rounds, each colliding with Loki's armor, making the god grit his teeth from the stinging pain. Lowering her gun slightly, the brown eye fighter locks eyes with Loki's emerald ones, seeing hatred and the hints of red in his shinning orbs. The sound of a trigger being pulled and the wiz of an arrow shooting past the brunette breaks their gaze, Loki's face contorting from pain at the impact. Pulling the arrow logged in between the folds of his shoulder armor, blood begins to leak through the black clothes, staining Loki's white hands and the arrow dripping in crimson. Turning her head, Scarlett sees Robbie, holding a crossbow in his hands, aimed at Loki.

"Make a move and the next shot pierces your throat." Robbie threatens, his eyes glaring with hate towards the black hair god.

"You moved on quickly." Loki says, looking back at the angered brunette, seeing a glow behind her chocolate eyes.

"Leave Earth now, and maybe I'll spare you a couple holes in your body." Scarlett growls at him, eyes beginning to glow.

"You think you can threaten me? I'm a god did you forget." Loki growls back, not liking the mortal's tone.

"Only to those who believe you are. And I don't believe you're a god. I believe you're a monster." Scarlett snaps back, her anger reaching the breaking point. Stepping forward, Robbie stands by Scarlett, his weapon still trained on Loki.

Glowing a bright blue, Scarlett's eyes are no longer visible behind a bright blue glow. Rising slightly in the air, the brunette allows a wave of magic ripple through her, extending throughout the house, waking her sleeping family members. Rising quickly, Dom and Brian instantly have their weapons trained on Loki, Mia running towards the front of the house while more footsteps enter the room, all guns locked on the god. Still levitating in the air, Scarlett lets another wave of energy flow through her, opening her hand to blast Loki with a black energy ball. Reeling from her hit, Loki hits the edge of the table, stumbling back to land on the floor. Feeling the pain in his abdomen and chest, Loki can feel Scarlett's hatred for him emitting from her glowing form.

"I'll give you ten seconds to leave Earth. Now." The glowing brunette growls, her hands and body glowing, ready to forcible remove the prince if need be.

Looking at the men gathered around the brunette, Loki begins to weigh his options. Seeing the light brunette's hateful look, and the various guns, crossbow, and Scarlett's powers all directed towards him, Loki chooses not to anger the already furious element. Bowing respectfully before the Olympus Princess, Loki disappears in a flash of green. After his departure, Scarlett lowers herself back down, feet touching the floor once more.

"What the hell was that all about?" Dom asks, placing his pistol back in his waist, looking at his daughter.

"He lied." Scarlett says, looking at the place where Loki once stood. "I trusted him."

Seeing her hurt expression, Dom and the rest of the crew look worriedly at the brunette seeing her eyes water slightly.

"Red, I'm sorry." Brian says, looking at his soon-to-be niece with sadness that matches Dom's.

"It's done with. I'm not going to cry over spilled milk. He made his bed, now let him sleep in it." Scarlett says, smashing her fist against the nearest wall, creating a good good-size hole.

"I'm sorry." Robbie says, securing his weapon on his back.

"Don't be. It would have never worked out anyways." Scarlett whispers, feeling somehow relieved that it ended this way. "I've got to call the girls and talk to Marly." Nodding their heads, Tej hands the brunette her cell phone, watching her dial a few numbers.

* * *

Arriving at Katy's house the brunette knocks on the door, hearing footsteps rushing towards the door, opening it immediately.

"Hey. C'mon in the rest of the girls are already downstairs talking with Grandma." Katy greets, ushering the fighter inside and leading her towards the back of the house towards the basement.

Following behind the raven-haired girl, the fighter remains silent, walking into a brightly lit basement. A full kitchen, living room, and eating area fill the space, plus a storage room and a sewing/crafts room. There's a room closed off to the left at the bottom of the stairs, assumingly the bedroom. The remaining three elements are sitting on the couch, drinks and food resting on the coffee table, while Marly sits in a large recliner across from them.

"It's good to see you again dear." Marly says in a cheery tone. Paler than before with more winkles and bags, Scarlett can see the toll the cancer has reaped on the old woman's body.

"It's good to see you again too." The brunette replies, sitting down between Esther and Chloe.

"You wanted to speak with us?" Marly asks, looking at the conflicted brunette with sad eyes.

"Yes. Loki came to my house. He knocked my family unconscious and he was waiting for me. I don't know what he wanted but he said he was a Frost Giant. The Frost Giant that kidnapped me. How can that be? He's Odin's son isn't he?" Scarlett blurts out, a look of confusion crossing her features.

"He is a Son of Odin, but not genetically. He's adopted. Loki's true father is Laufey, King of Jotunheim. His mother died during the war between Asgard when Loki was a baby." Marly explains, looking sad herself. "Odin's kept it a secret for nearly a thousand years."

"A thousand years? But Loki said he was eighteen or something." Scarlett says confused.

"In equivalency to human years yes, but his true age is a thousand years old. Asgardians and other realms age differently than Earth, Jotunheim is no exception." Marly continues, seeing Scarlett's face contort in disgust.

"That's an unpleasant thought." The brunette says repulsed, clearly not liking the idea. "Why would he suddenly go AWOL though?"

"Probably Odin told him of his true heritage. Did he say anything to you?"

"Yeah, he said that he's the monster parents tell their children at night." Scarlett quotes.

"Then he mostly knows. He probably wants revenge."

"But he said he kidnapped me. He must've known before now that he wasn't truly an Asgardian."

"If that's the case, then he's been faking ignorance for some time now. Kidnapping you was probably a part of a larger plan." Marly says, mulling over the idea.

"He said I'm a princess, a princess of Olympus or something. He said the royal family of Olympus adopted me when they saved Diana's life during her pregnancy. He said I have more power than just the element of water. Is he lying?" Scarlett says, looking at Marly.

"I guessed you were different than the others the first time I met you. Yes, you are the daughter of Athena and Hades. It is written in a prophecy that a child, a baby girl, will threaten Mount Olympus, preventing them from conquering Earth." Marly says, looking at Scarlett with sadness in her eyes.

"I know, I read the prophecy. But I don't want to be his daughter. If that's the case that means I'm more than just human." Scarlett says, a determination in her voice.

"You can't change what happened in the past. Hades is your 'father', I use the term loosely, and you do have the gifts of the gods."

"I don't want these 'gifts'. I don't want anything to do with them!" Scarlett yells, her anger rising.

"I know dear, but you don't have a choice. You are gifted with the powers of empathetic telekinesis, it's a very powerful power."

"I don't want it. Can't I give it back?" Scarlett snaps, eyes gleaming with hate.

"No I'm afraid not. You have to accept what's happened and learn to control it. As long as you remain in control of your emotions and powers you'll be fine. Don't let Loki get under your skin."

Nodding her head, Scarlett leans back in the couch, letting Esther and Chloe comfort her to the best of their abilities.

A bolt of lightening and a flash of white, and suddenly Thor is standing in front of the group of women, seeing their surprised faces, except for Marly's.

"Thor?" The brunette says, seeing Thor suddenly appear before her something quite unusually.

"Lady Scarlett, I need your help." Thor says, a look of desperation in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" The fighter asks, standing up.

"It's Loki. He fell from the Rainbow Bridge. He tried to take over Asgard by force. Do you know where he could be?" Thor asks, sadness in his voice.

"I don't know where he could be. He came to visit me though." Scarlett admits, seeing Thor's face brighten slightly.

"Where is he? Is he still here?"

"He better not be. He threatened my family. If I ever see him again I'll slit his throat." The brunette growls, eyes darkening.

"Please help me locate him. I have been informed by an agency called S.H.I.E.L.D., that Loki stole the Tesseract and has corrupted some agents. I need to find him now before he does any more harm." Thor says.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.? The government agency? How do you know them?" Scarlett asks, looking confused.

"Loki had the Allfather banish me to Earth after some, um, events. He then sent the destroyer to try to kill me. S.H.I.E.L.D. has become an ally of Asgard and is trying to use the power of the Tesseract for something unknown. Loki apparently has an army now, and followers. He wants to take over Earth." Thor explains, seeing Scarlett's eyes turn a bright yellow.

"Like hell he is." The brunette growls, unaware of her deepening voice and the growl that emits from her throat.

"Lady Scarlett will you help me? I know you have feelings for him but it would mean a great deal to myself and Asgard." Thor asks, looking hopeful at the brunette.

"Whatever feelings I _had_ for Loki are gone. He crossed the line when he threatened my family. Of course I'll help you." Scarlett snaps at the prince, seeing him taken back by her harsh tone. "Sorry Thor. I can't imagine how difficult this must be on you."

"It's alright. It's you I'm more concerned for. Father said your life will be in grave danger if Loki succeeds in conquering the Earth." Thor says, looking at Scarlett with a sad look.

"Not if I can help it, he's not." The brunette replies confidently, determination shinning in her eyes.

"Before you go, you must know how to transform." Marly interrupts, looking closely at the brunette and the prince.

"Transform?" The two say in unison, each staring at the queen unsure.

"Into your Guardian form. I need to make sure you can handle your powers fully." Marly explains, looking at the brunette with a serious look.

"How do I transform?" Scarlett asks, looking unsure of herself for the first time in her life.

"Focus on your powers. And feel it rise in you. Let it flow through your veins." Marly instructs, watching as the brunette closes her eyes.

Slowly, the tan girl begins to glow, her hair rising like waves. Lifting into the air, water and ice begin to surround her, enclosing her in a blue bubble, her element. Inside the bubble, Scarlett can feel her powers transforming her into something else, something magical. When the bubble explodes, Scarlett stands before the group, no longer dressed in her jeans and leather jacket, but in a sparkly costume that resembles something of a fairy. A sparkly neon blue one-shoulder top with two design hooks on the bottom curving below her breasts, a matching sparkly neon blue skirt with a large slit on the right side revealing dark blue solid shorts. Shin high neon blue boots with two silver/icy blue bracers adorn each wrist. Hair tied in a single French braid and a pair of three pointed light blue wings adorns her back. Feeling slightly uncomfortable with her midriff bare, the fighter folds her arms in front of her stomach.

"Wow you look beautiful!" Esther gushes, standing up to inspect the fighter's costume.

"We all get outfits like that?" Audrey asks, motioning towards Scarlett's attire.

"Yes, but not the same costume. Each of you have your own unique Guardian form." Marly says, smiling at the girls' enthusiastic faces.

"I don't mean to be rude, but we must be going." Thor says, looking at Scarlett.

"Agreed. Tell my family not to worry about me." Scarlett asks Esther.

"Of course." Esther agrees, hugging Scarlett as she and Thor disappear with a flash of lightening.

* * *

The next thing Scarlett notices is she's no longer in Katy's basement, but a busy open room with many computers, monitors, people and workers going about their business, ignoring Thor's dramatic entrance. Reverting back to her normal clothes, Scarlett takes in her new surroundings.

"Thor, good to have you back. Who's this?" A woman with dark brown hair and fair skin asks, wearing a dark blue suit with an eagle emblem on her shoulder. Scarlett notices instantly the holster gun strapped to her side, and the earpiece in her left ear.

"Lady Scarlett this is Agent Maria Hill. Agent Hill this is Lady Scarlett." Thor introduces the two women, allowing them to shake hands. "I asked Scarlett to help us with Loki." Thor explains.

"Right this way. You have told Director Fury?" Agent Hill asks, leading them through two double doors inside a conference room.

"No, but my father has given me strict orders to keep Lady Scarlett safe." Thor explains, following the dark hair woman into the room.

Trailing behind the two, Scarlett enters the meeting room last. A large computer monitor is set up on the far side, and a large circular table is in the center. A large black man wearing a long black coat stands with his back towards the entering group, looking at a monitor flashing with pictures of Loki. A redhead woman wearing a black cat suit with multiple weapons and gun holsters sits at one of the seats. A dark hair man stands beside a buff younger blonde male, wearing a plaid shirt and tan dress pants. Finally there's a dark curly hair man with a purple button up, examining the pictures on the monitor with the black male.

"Director Fury, Thor has returned. He's brought a friend." Agent Hill says towards the black male.

Turning around, Scarlett sees the black eye patch covering left eye, multiple scars extending from behind the black patch. "Thank you Agent Hill. Thor, welcome back." The director says, motioning towards an empty seat.

Shaking his head no, Thor chooses to stand, offering the seat to the brunette. "Director Fury, I fear Lady Scarlett's life is in danger." Thor says, jumping straight to the point.

"Lady Scarlett?" The blonde male asks, turning around to see the sixteen-year-old girl sitting at the table.

"I'm Scarlett." The brunette says, raising her hand to get the groups attention. "My life isn't in danger, Thor's exaggerating."

"Lady Scarlett has no idea what kinds of dangers face her, she needs protection." Thor argues, ignoring the brunette's words.

"Thor I'm not a damsel in distress! I can take care of myself!" Scarlett yells at the prince, rising in her seat, anger burning in her brown eyes.

"Loki will harm you if given the chance!" Thor yells at the brunette, turning his full attention towards her.

"I can handle Loki!" The fighter snaps at the blonde prince, sending him an icy glare.

"Enough, both of you. Miss Scarlett, do you know the suspect Loki?" The director says, turning his attention towards the brunette.

"Yes." Scarlett answers simple, glaring daggers at the Asgardian.

"Do you know Loki's play?" The blonde hair male asks, looking at the girl with curiosity. "I'm Steve Rogers."

"Scarlett Gambino. Yes, he's going to use the Tesseract to take over Earth. He wants revenge on Odin." Scarlett replies, looking at Thor.

"How do you know all this?" The redhead woman asks, looking at Scarlett with uncertainty.

"He came to my house. He told me." Scarlett answers the woman, not paying her much mind.

"How do you know about the Tesseract?" Steve asks, walking closer towards the brunette.

"Because I'm supposed to be protecting it." The brunette answers firmly, not flinching at Steve's close proximity or intimidating size.

"Do you know how to find it?" The dark curly hair male asks, looking at the brunette. "Doctor Bruce Banner."

"No idea. All I know is the Tesseract has a power to keep Earth safe. It emits this barrier that protects Earth from outside realms. Now that Loki has it, I'm sure that's why the barrier is weakening. If we don't get the Tesseract back to the Forbidden City Earth will become a battleground for power hungry tyrants everywhere." Scarlett says, looking at the group of adults around her.

"Sir! We've got a location on Loki. He's in Germany." Maria Hill's voice says through the intercom, a picture of the god in a suit walking in the German streets appearing on the monitor.

"Romanoff, Rogers go to Germany and stop Loki before he does something less than friendly. Banner, continue your search for the cube." Fury orders, the people in the room moving towards the exit.

"What about her?" Agent Romanoff asks, motioning towards the fighter.

"I'm coming with you." Scarlett says in an authoritative voice.

"No! It's too dangerous." Thor argues, trying to block the brunette's path.

"I agree with Thor, you won't be safe there." Fury agrees, looking at the brunette in question.

"As the Guardian of Earth and the Tesseract it's my job to keep its people safe. I'm going. I'll be fine Thor." Scarlett assures the worried blonde male, seeing his stance not waver.

"I'll keep a close eye on her." Steve assures the prince, seeing him relax slightly at the blonde hair male's promise.

* * *

Changing into black combat boots, a dark blue cat suit with a gun holster, the brunette pulls her shoulder length locks into a messy ponytail, securing a pistol in the holster. The flight to Germany is quick; the fighter assumes the S.H.I.E.L.D. jets can go faster than most. Flying above the country, Scarlett looks out the cockpit window, seeing a burning car lying overturned on the street.

"Look there's Loki." Natasha says, pointing towards the god of mischief standing over a group of kneeling people. "Cap, get ready."

Opening the ramp, Steve pulls the Captain America mask over his face, walking off the back and blocking a blast from Loki's scepter, protecting an elderly man.

"I'm going down there." Scarlett says, running off the ramp and doing a flip in the air, landing effortlessly in an open space, seeing Loki's attention focused on Steve.

Watching Steve engage Loki in combat, Scarlett easily makes her way unnoticed by the two males, waiting for her moment to strike. Seeing Loki easily punch Steve, sending him flying towards a fountain, Scarlett makes her surprise attack, easily kicking the pale god in the jaw.

"Next time you want to manipulate someone, make sure that someone isn't me." Scarlett says towards the surprised god, seeing his face contort in anger and hurt.

"Kneel before me, Scarlett. There is no use fighting it." Loki says, giving the girl a menacing smile.

"Not today." The brunette mutters, running towards the god and ducking out of his way at the last second, only to kick his legs out from under him.

Climbing on top of his chest, Scarlett collides her bare fist with the god's face, her anger boiling. Easily kicking her off, Scarlett rolls on the cement, watching as Loki stands once more, only to have Steve send his shield flying at him. Blocking the Vibranium concave disk, Loki punches the star and strips dressed male, making him kneel before him. Placing his golden scepter towards the kneeling man's head, Loki growls. "Kneel."

"Not to you." Steve replies, easily pushing the staff away and kicking the god, sending him reeling.

Jumping back into the fighter, Scarlett body slams into the unsuspecting prince, hearing him grunt from the impact. Throwing the petite girl to the side, Loki doesn't have enough time to brace himself for Steve's next attack, sending him reeling. The static and sound of ACDC's "Shoot To Thrill" suddenly begins to blare from the hovering quinjet above. Making the soldier, the god, and the fighter all turn their heads towards the glowing object flying towards the trio. Sending a single blast from his hands, Iron Man lands in front of the fallen Loki, aiming his guns at the god. Grabbing his shield and helping Scarlett to her feet, the two join the armored Tony Stark, pointing multiple deadly weapons at the sitting god. Suddenly glowing gold, Loki's golden helmet and staff disappear rising his hands in surrender, leaving him in his Asgardian attire Scarlett is accustomed to seeing.

"Good move." Tony says, lowering his weapons at Loki's submissive pose.

"Mr. Stark." Steve says in a panting voice, not removing his eyes from the demi-god.

"Captain." Tony replies in a neutral tone, his glowing masked eyes focused on the god as well. "Who's Rocky?"

"Scarlet Gambino." The brunette says in a cold tone towards the armored billionaire, unable to see his facial reaction.

"Let's get reindeer games in custody shall we?" Tony says, taking a quick glance at the brunette on his right side.

* * *

**So now you get to meet the Avengers! Not gonna bother to go through the entire movie since we all know it, but I am going to change some parts of it, you know, to fit my story! Hope you like Scarlett's first fight with Loki. Wonder how she's going to fit in with the Avengers crowd!? Thor is btw only acting like a big brother towards her! I imagine since Thor is a pretty loving person he'll particular favor young girls, but he knows better than anyone she can handle her own. Be prepared for some crazy shit in the next few chapters, which are all going to be Avengers centered! I'll get back to my more original story once I get through the events of New York and stuff. Stay tuned! Also more of Robbie and Star's family to come! Feedback always appreciated, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! I know some stuff are out of order from the movie, but it's called fanfiction for a reason!**


	13. Chapter 13

Standing next to Tony and Steve on the plane back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Scarlett listens quietly while they discuss Loki in hush tones.

"I don't remember it being _that_ easy." Steve whispers to Tony, eyeing Loki carefully.

"You've missed a lot of things doing time as a capsicle." Tony replies, ignoring the look of hurt passing over Steve's face.

The sound of thunder and flashes of lightening suddenly fill the dark skies, making the trio share a look of confusion.

"What's the matter, scared of a little lightening?" Steve asks the suddenly timid looking god of mischief, seeing him huddle closer in his seat.

Noticing his skittish reaction, Scarlett looks out the cockpit window, recognizing Thor's calling sign. Grabbing his helmet sitting on the shelf, while Steve reaches for his shield, Scarlett merely cooks her gun, watching as Tony opens the hatch, letting Thor land. Easily pushing Tony into Steve, Thor grabs Loki, pulling him out of his restraints and jumping off the plane into the night. Following after the gods, Tony makes his way towards the exit.

"Stark, we need a plan of attack!" Steve yells at the armor-clad hero.

"I have a plan. Attack." Toney replies, flying after the duo.

Grabbing a nearby parachute, Steve secures his shield on his back, preparing to follow the three.

"I'm coming with you." Scarlett says in a firm voice, giving Steve a glare to silence his protest.

"Cap I'd sit this one out these guys come from legends they're basically gods." Agent Romanoff's voice yells at the captain.

"Ma'am there's only one god, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." Steve answers, walking off the ramp and jumping out. Following after him, Scarlett jumps too, letting the freefall rush through her veins.

Never flown before, Scarlett lets her powers rush through her, feeling herself no longer falling put levitating in the air. Getting the hang of it rather quickly, Scarlett makes her way towards the group of men.

* * *

Throwing Loki on the ground, Thor skids to a halt in front of the moaning god, hearing him chuckle darkly once the pain subsides.

"Where's the Tesseract!" Thor booms at his brother, anger in his voice.

"It's good to see you too." Loki laughs, getting up slowly.

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood brother?" Thor growls at his adopted sibling, summoning Mjölnir to his hand. Chuckling being his only response, Loki looks at his brother with malice. "Why would you hurt Scarlett? I thought you cared deeply for her."

"She's nothing but a mere mortal, what use does she have to me, a god and a king." Loki says in a smug voice, a flash of hurt in Thor's face.

"She cared for you very deeply." Thor says, seeing Loki's eyes flash with regret. "She trusted you! You knew she had a scarred past and you took advantage of her. Father told me of your true heritage, and she told me how it was you who kidnapped her. Why?"

"I need her for something far greater than just conquering Earth." Loki says, an evil smile crossing his face. "I've seen worlds you've never even heard of!"

"Than why hurt her? Why involve her?" Thor asks, clearly not happy with the treatment of the unknown Olympian princess.

"Why? Do you care about her?" Loki asks, a flash of jealousy crossing his face.

"I care because you hurt her unnecessarily." Loki growls back, anger in his eyes. "Father predicted you would hurt her, but not to this extent."

"Odin knows nothing! If he did he would've used her long ago." Loki growls, back, anger in his eyes.

"Loki listen and listen good." Thor begins only to be grabbed by a flying Iron Man and hurled to the ground.

"I'm listening." Loki says sarcastically.

* * *

Following the sound and the glow of a large explosion, Scarlett lands in front of the three men, all slowly rising from the explosion.

"Knock it off!" Scarlett yells at the three men, looking at the damaged forest.

"Lady Scarlett is right, we need to put aside our differences for the sake of the Earth." Thor agrees, looking at Iron Man and Captain America.

"Agreed." Steve says, looking at Tony to make sure he agrees too.

"Fine, whatever Rocky says." Tony agrees, making Scarlett roll her eyes at the nickname.

* * *

Back aboard the Helicarrier, the gathered superheroes and Director Fury stand in the lab while Banner examines Loki's scepter. Given an earpiece along with the rest of the heroes, Scarlett places the small item in her ear. Unsure of what all the words, charts, and numbers mean on the screen, Scarlett can guess that whatever Loki's scepter is made of, is quite powerful. Only half listening to the yells and bickering of the adults around her, Scarlett continues to stare at the monitors. She had previously watched Agent Romanoff interrogate Loki, manipulating him into telling his plan, she also had observed as Tony and Steve confronted Director Fury on his prototype weapons fueled by the Tesseract and his motives for wanting it. Suddenly the sound of rapid beeping has the entire group looking at the monitors. Before Dr. Banner is able to read what the monitor is saying, a loud explosion can be heard, making the floor give out beneath the fighter, the assassin, and the hulk.

Landing hard on the metal floor below, Scarlett can feel something fall on her legs, pinning her to the ground. Looking to her sides, she sees Agent Romanoff's ankle is also pinned by the same object; Banner the only free one is moaning quite loudly.

"Are you hurt?" Natasha asks, looking at Bruce than at the fighter.

"No. Are you?" Scarlett asks, easily freeing her smaller legs from the heavy object.

"We're ok." Natasha says into her earpiece. "We're ok right?" the redhead turns to Bruce and the fighter, seeing the first beginning to shake and moan.

Moving quickly, the fighter begins to try to move the object keeping Agent Romanoff down, hearing her groan in pain. "Hang on Romanoff, we're going to get out of here." Scarlett says, seeing Bruce fall off the platform towards the floor, beginning to Hulk out. "I'll distract him, you get help." Scarlett says, running towards the now Hulked Bruce and hearing his angry roar.

Turning to face her, the Hulk roars in anger, charging towards the frightened brunette as she runs towards the stairs, the Hulk in pursuit ignoring Agent Romanoff. Quickly swinging herself over the railings, the fighter barely manages to get out of the Hulks way as he claws at the stairs where she previously stood. Running through the engine room of sorts, Scarlett can feel the Hulk's pounding footsteps behind her, crashing and destroying objects in his wake. Knowing she won't out run him, Scarlett runs through a hallway, bracing herself for the Hulk's assault. Feeling his large paw push her to the side, the brunette collides with a hard surface, unable to stand back up. Seeing the green beast loam over her, Scarlett braces herself for the Hulk's impending attack. It never comes. Instead a force collides with the Hulk, sending the monster and him flying through walls and into the hanger. Watching the golden hair of Thor roll on the ground, the Hulk nearby, Scarlett can only sit in a ball.

* * *

"Coulson is down." Fury's voice says into the fighter's ear, making her perk her head up from its position on the floor.

Standing slowly, the fighter makes her way towards the main room where she first appeared with Thor, seeing many computers destroyed and agents receiving medical attention.

"Scarlett, do you need assistance?" Steve's worried voice asks the fighter, walking towards her and helping her move to a seat. In the short time Steve's been with S.H.I.E.L.D. he has had a complete culture shock. Looking at the young girl worriedly, Steve feels his blood boil in anger at Loki, who caused this all to happen. Accepting a first-aid box from a passing agent, Steve begins to address Scarlett's wounds, starting with the large cuts on her lip and forehead. Feeling protective over the young female, Steve remembers his promise to Thor to keep her safe.

"You don't have to do this you know." Scarlett says in a monotone voice.

"I know, but I promised Thor I'd keep an eye on you. I don't go back on my word." Steve replies, brushing his fingers across the cuts on her face, disinfecting them.

"Thank you." The brunette whispers, grateful for his nice treatment.

* * *

Walking next to Steve through the halls of the Helicarrier, Scarlett wasn't sure where they were going. Knocking on a door, then having it slide open, Scarlett can see the Black Widow sitting on a bed, the bathroom door sliding open to reveal a blonde male with blue eyes.

"We've got to go." Steve says towards the redhead, looking cautiously at the archer. Nodding her head, Natasha silently assures the captain Clint means no harm. "Got a suit?"

"Yeah." The archer responds, drying his hands on a towel and stepping into the room, catching a glimpse of Scarlett.

"Then suit up." The super soldier says in an authoritative voice, walking out of the room leaving Scarlett in the doorway.

"Are you ok?" The brunette asks the redhead, hand resting on her pistol strapped to her thigh.

"Yes. Are you ok?" Natasha asks, looking worriedly at the young girl. Nodding her head, the fighter looks towards Clint warily, unsure about him. Seeing her uneasiness about Clint, Natasha pats the bed next to her, motioning for the brunette to sit. Sitting down next to the assassin, Scarlett allows the redhead to examine her wounds, her brows scrunching together in disapproval. "You shouldn't have taken the blow from the Hulk. It was my responsibility to maintain him. I'm sorry you had to get hurt."

"It's fine. Don't worry about me." Scarlett replies, seeing the redhead look sincerely guilty about her bruises.

"You willingly put yourself in harms way to protect me. Why?" Natasha asks, her voice wavering slightly.

"You remind me of my mom." The brunette answers honestly, admiration in her eyes for the assassin. Smiling a genuine smile at her comment, Natasha pulls the brunette in for a hug. Caught off guard by her embrace, Scarlett tenses slightly before relaxing in the woman's arms, letting her rub small circles on her back.

"Nat, we've got to go." Clint says, looking at the young girl with curiosity. Nodding her head, Natasha rises, pulling the brunette with her, the three leaving the room.

* * *

Flying over New York City, the captain, archer, assassin, and fighter watches as Loki talks with Tony, ignoring their hovering quinjet. Observing the damage being done to the city below, Scarlett's blood begins to boil in hatred, her gut twisting in agony at the sight before her. Craving nothing more than to drill her fist in Loki's face. Having to crash-land the stolen quinjet, Steve, Clint, and Natasha walk out of the ramp running towards Stark Tower where Loki, Tony, and Thor are. Following after them, Scarlett no longer wears the S.H.I.E.L.D. issue suit, but own jeans, tank top, and boots. Stopping on an overpass, the group looks towards the sky where a large portal has been opened. Flying through the opening, a large scaled monster begins to fly through along with thousands of individual Chitauri. Soon Tony and Thor join the four on the overpass, Banner driving up in a small scooter. Conversing with Banner, Steve says something to the quiet doctor, the doctor smiling in return than transforming into the Hulk, making Scarlett step away from the green creature. Creating a circle, the group looks up at the sky, an unsaid plan being formed in their minds.

* * *

After much fighting, Scarlett's muscles are screaming for her to stop, but the fighter can't. Killing hundreds of Chitauri, the fighter knows it's useless unless the portal is closed. Luckily Agent Romanoff found the key to closing it, making an end appear closer in sight. Continuing to fight beside Steve and Clint, Scarlett misses the creature coming up on her flank, only turning a second too late. Closing her eyes and instinctively covering her face with her arms the fighter braces herself for the hit. Not feeling an impact, the brunette opens her eyes, seeing a large black barrier protecting her. Making the outside world seem black, expect for the white outlines of objects and people, Scarlett can feel her powers stirring in her. Letting the barrier down, the mocha skin girl continues to fight, feeling her powers run through her body.

"There's a missal headed straight for Manhattan." Director Fury's voice warns the team.

All instinctively looking towards the sky, Scarlett feels fear rise in her. Squashing the unwanted emotion, Scarlett watches as Iron Man races through the sky, rushing to meet the incoming object.

"That's a one way ticket, Stark." Steve says into the intercom, catching Iron Man flying towards the open portal.

Watching in silence, the brunette sees the red and gold Iron Man suit disappear into the open portal. Waiting for what seemed like decades, although in reality only minutes, the Avengers search the sky for Tony, non able to see him.

"Close the portal." Steve commands into the earpiece, the Black Widow thrusting Loki's scepter into the device controlling it.

As the portal begins to close, the monsters all drop dead, the small figure of Iron Man is finally spotted. Free falling without slowing, the group begins to worry, Thor preparing to launch himself towards his falling comrade. A streak of green and a couple of crashes later, Bruce lands with an unconscious billionaire in his arms. Racing towards the playboy, Thor easily rips the faceplate off the suit, revealing Tony's closed eyes and peaceful expression.

"C'mon, Stark. Wake up." Steve says in a quiet voice, internally urging the obnoxious super hero to wake up.

Letting out a tremendous roar, Tony's eyes flash open at the Hulk's voice, gasping desperately for air. "No one kissed me did they?" Tony asks, looking at the faces of the three men, the Hulk, and the fighter. "Well if Rocky kissed me I'd be ok with that."

"Don't push your luck Stark." Scarlett threatens, smirking at the philanthropist.

"Who wants shwama? My treat." Tony offers, looking at his comrades.

* * *

Three days after the New York attack, the Avengers assemble once more, only in civilian clothes. Meeting somewhere in Central Park, Thor leads a now cuffed and gagged Loki towards the gathered group. Handing the demi-god the Tesseract, encased in a device that will transport them to Asgard, Thor assures the brunette the safe return of the Tesseract. Looking towards his cuffed brother, Thor hands the opposite side of the device towards the dark hair god, seeing him eye the brunette with angry eyes. Not liking his expression, Steve and Tony both move protectively towards the brunette, standing on either side with dark expressions on their faces. Taking the extended device, Thor twists the handle on his end, making the two disappear in a flash. Watching the two disappear before her eyes, Scarlett lets out a sigh of relief, not realizing she had held her breath for the last few minutes.

"You ok, Rocky?" Tony asks, looking at the girl with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." Scarlett replies, looking at the other Avengers, all looking at her worriedly.

Nodding their heads, Tony and Bruce head towards Tony's Ferrari, Clint and Natasha walking towards their parked SUV, Steve mounting his motorcycle, and Scarlett walking towards her parked 1970 black Chevrolet Camaro. Revving the engine, Scarlett heads south, towards Diamond City, New Jersey, on the border with Pennsylvania and near Philadelphia.

* * *

Parking her car outside her house, Scarlett walks into her house. Opening the front door, Scarlett is wrapped in two sets of arms.

"Scarlett! You're back! We saw the news, you met the Avengers!" Chase yells at his sister, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Glad to see you're ok sis. What happened? Where did they take Loki?" Russ asks, being slightly calmer than his brother.

"Will you two give her room to breathe?" Robbie's voice asks the two blondes, standing in the hallway of the house, arms crossed.

"Sorry sis." The two boys mutter, stepping aside to let the light brunette walk forward and examine the fighter.

Looking at the cuts, bruises, and wounds covering her open skin, Robbie runs his slender fingers across the plains of her cheeks, feeling her flinch slightly when his fingertips brush across an open cut. Examining the rest of her 5'3 frame, the green eye boy lifts Scarlett's shirt, finding many bruises and bandages covering her tanned abdomen. Letting her shirt fall back down, the pale boy takes her hands in his, finding her knuckles cracked and bruised. Eyes darkening at the healing flesh, Robbie moves to examine the rest of her arms, removing the leather jacket hiding her mocha skin.

"Did he do this to you?" Robbie asks in a venomous tone, anger evident on his face and his green eyes darkening.

"The Chitauri and the Hulk too." Scarlett corrects, seeing Robbie's face contort in rage.

"Scarlett?" Esther's voice echoes in the house, walking into the foyer from the family room.

"Esther?" The brunette replies, forcing her gaze towards her closest friend.

"You're safe!" Esther says in a relieved tone, flinging herself around the brunette, making Robbie release the tan girl's hands.

"Yeah I'm fine. Why? Did something happen?" Scarlett asks, looking from Esther to Robbie then back.

"We told Dom what happened, and he understood." Esther starts, uncertainty creeping in her voice. "Then he got a call and left. He sent the rest of your family away too. Only Mia's here."

"What?" The brunette's eyes widen, shock overcoming her face. "Where did he go?"

"He didn't say. Just said to make sure you do you homework and don't get into fights at school." The blonde/brunette replies, looking sadly at the ground.

"Where's Mia?" Scarlett demands, worrying creeping into her tone.

"She's in there." Esther says, pointing towards the family room. "She's slept on the couch since we told her you left."

Pushing passed her two friends and siblings; Scarlett enters the family room, catching sight of Mia sleeping quietly on the couch. Walking over to her aunt, Scarlett kneels in front of her, tapping her shoulder lightly. Jolting awake at the touch, Mia's eyes snap open towards the fighter, relief flooding her features. Embracing her niece in a warm hug, Scarlett accepts the tan woman's embrace.

"You had us so worried." Mia says into Scarlett's dark locks, wetting them with her tears.

"I know I'm sorry Mia. I didn't mean to leave so abruptly but everything happened so quickly." Scarlett apologizes, feeling guilty for leaving her aunt on such short notice.

"You're safe. That's all that matters. Dom will be overjoyed to know you're ok." The Brazilian-Irish-Greek woman says, her voice wavering at the mention of her brother.

"Mia where's Dom? Why did he send everyone else away? What happened?"

"We'll talk about it later. Are you hungry? I know New York isn't that far away, but still you look exhausted."

"Yeah I am pretty hungry. What do we have to eat?" Scarlett asks, standing up and backing up to allow Mia to stand.

"Not much, I have to go to the store soon." Mia admits, walking into the kitchen, leaving the brunette.

"Hey I should get going my folks are going to be worried. I'll tell the girls you're safe." Esther says, hugging the brunette before walking out of the door.

Standing alone in the family room with just Robbie, Scarlett is unsure what to say. Never been well with friendships, let alone relationships, the fighter is uncertain how to act around guys. Especially when her first boyfriend ended up being a raging psychopath.

"Thank you. For taking care of my brothers." Scarlett begins, turning to face the staring street boy. "You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it. They're my boys too. I really do like them. They're a lot nicer than the other street boys who come to me." Robbie replies, moving to stand closer to the dark brunette.

Nodding her head, Scarlett unknowingly takes a step closer towards the street boy, him in return taking another large step closer to her. "When did Dom leave?" The fighter asks, taking another half step closer to the Brit.

"He left the same day you did. At first we thought he was going to find you, but when he called next he was in L.A." Robbie answers, taking the last step so they stood chest to chest and the fighter had to look up at him.

"L.A.? Why L.A.?" Scarlett asks in a worried tone.

"I don't know. He won't tell me much, but Mia told me Brian got word of a lead on your mother's death. Dom's going to investigate it." Robbie continues, seeing the fighter's face contort in confusion.

"My mom was raised in Chicago and New York City, no way could L.A. offer answers." Scarlett says in a firm voice, her eyes showing how worried she really was.

"Apparently a man by the name Arturo Braga, who was an associate of Dante's, has information. Dom is going to hunt him down and talk to him. Who is Dante?" The pale boy continues, looking at Scarlett questionably.

"Dante is my grandfather. He's Diana's father." Scarlett answers, her memories of her grandfather from her childhood rushing back at her. "Braga is a drug lord. He's been smuggling coke through the border for over a decade now. Dante and him have been friends since Braga went to work for Dante back in '95 or something. I don't know all the details except that Braga is no longer in Dante's good graces."

"That would explain why Dom wants to kill Braga." Robbie says, unknowingly resting his hands on Scarlett's sides.

"Dom can't kill Braga. He'd have to go to Mexico." Scarlett argues, a look of realization hitting her.

* * *

**I know this story may seem a little jumpy, but trust me I have a direction I'm going to go! The Avenger part I know was short lived, but I wanted to continue on with the story! The Avengers will return in later chapters! Now we're back to Scarlett's family issue situation and how Robbie will play a role in it. BTW in the F&F world (which I am using, just placing my own characters) we're now in the middle of the fourth one. Also votes on who Scarlett should end up with will be appreciated. Robbie or Loki? I know it's an Avengers fic, but I don't think Loki and Scarlett would be a very good couple. BUT feedback always appreciated! Thanks for reading! **


	14. Chapter 14

Pushing past the light brunette, Scarlett rushes into the kitchen, eyes locking on Mia's form fixing a tuna sandwich.

"Dom went to Mexico." The street fighter states, seeing Mia flinch at her words.

"Yes." The brunette whispers in a small voice, turning to face her infuriated niece.

"He'll never be able to come home." Scarlett says in a softer voice, holding back tears of pain.

"He's doing what he thinks is best for the family." Mia assures her niece, the closest thing she has to a daughter of her own. "He wants to protect you."

"_Protect_ me? He just met me." Scarlett snaps, her anger back in full force. Outside a storm is brewing, matching the dark hair street fighter's fury.

"He loves you. He's loved you since the moment he found out Diana was pregnant." Mia argues, seeing her niece flinch at the mentioning of her mom.

"If he loved me so much why didn't he come for me? Why didn't he follow her?" The brunette screams at Mia, a clash of thunder and a strike of lightening filling the sky.

"He tried!" Mia yells back, facing the infuriated Gambino head on. "Your mother wouldn't let him. She wouldn't let us near her when she was pregnant." The tan woman continues, tears swelling in her brown eyes. "She wouldn't even let me in. I was her best friend! I tried to help her! Dom tried to help her!"

"If that's true why didn't you follow her when she left? Why didn't you try to stop her?" Scarlett shouts back at her aunt, tears now freely running down her tan cheeks. "Dom said he loved her! Why didn't he save her?"

Rushing to her niece's side, Mia wraps her up in a warm hug, both letting the tears roll down their cheeks. "I don't know. I ask myself that everyday. What if we would've followed her, would she be dead? What if Dom and her never got pregnant, would she still be here today? What if! So many what ifs. There's no guarantee if Dom followed she'd be alive today. Just know she loved you, ok? She loved you more than anything in the world. And Dom does too. He loves you so much baby girl." Mia says in a firm voice, her wet eyes sparkling. "He loves you more than life itself."

Crying into Mia's embrace, the street girl feels her anger subside, the storm outside no longer in a fury and only a light rain patting against the house. Pulling away from her aunt, the brunette wipes her puffy eyes, sniffing.

"Tuna sandwich?" Mia asks, looking over at the counter where the sandwich she was preparing lays untouched.

Nodding and continuing to sniff, Scarlett sits at the table while Mia serves her the sandwich and a Snapple. Eating the food quietly, the brunette can feel Robbie's gaze on her, knowing he has thousands of unanswered questions. Ignoring the gaze as long as possible, the fighter finishes her sandwich, thanking Mia for the food before she heads to bed, then turning her attention to the Brit.

"You know staring is rude."

"Ignoring someone is rude too, love." Robbie counters, seeing her wipe her puffy eyes.

"What do you want Robbie?" Scarlett asks her husky voice sounding small and defeated compared to its usual rough and authoritative tone.

"Well for starters I want you. Also I want millions of dollars, to return to London someday, and own a Mustang at some point in my life." The British boy replies, making the dark hair girl smile at his words, blushing at his small confession. "But I know you probably don't care what's on my bucket list so to answer you question darling, I want to see that beautiful smile of yours."

Giggling slightly at his words, Scarlett meets the light hair boy's green eyes with her brown ones, seeing them darken slightly while looking at her. Blushing red as her name, Scarlett looks away, standing up to head upstairs, exhausted from the day's events. "Goodnight Robbie." The brunette says in a light voice, moving to walk away from him.

In a blink the tall, pale boy is blocking the petite fighter's path, making her breath hitch in her throat at their close proximity. Backing away from him, Robbie follows the dark brunette, forcing her against the wall and pinning her in with his arms on either side of her face. "We're not done with our conversation." The Brit says in a dark voice, referring to their earlier unfinished conversation about Loki.

"I don't want to talk about it." Scarlett snaps.

"We're _going_ to talk about it." Robbie says, his voice leaving little room for discussion.

Accepting defeat, Scarlett motions for the Brit to follow her, walking through the quiet house to the stairs leading towards the second floor. Walking ahead, Scarlett turns left on top of the stairs, walking through the white door at the end of the hall, letting Robbie follow behind her. Shutting the door after they both enter the room, the dark brunette motions towards her unmade bed for Robbie to sit in, walking over to the window to shut the blinds.

"What did you want to talk about?" Scarlett asks, standing in front of the closed window, watching Robbie inspect her room.

A bed, dresser, desk, chair, lamp, and a lounge chair fill the rectangular room. The white walls have multiple posters, pictures, and painted designs on them, making the room appear slightly homely. Blue LED lights of snowflakes hang from the ceiling, draping her bed in a canopy. The framed picture of a dark hair, tan woman, with shinning brown eyes sits on the dresser. The woman is leaning against the hood of a black 1970 Dodge Charger, a laughing smile on her face. The picture is obviously taken somewhere in the desert mountains, sand, and rocks evident in the background. Clumps of Joshua Trees are behind the vehicle. The spitting image of the woman in the picture, Robbie looks from the standing street fighter to the woman in the picture, an obvious resemblance.

"Your mother?" Robbie asks, pointing towards the framed photograph.

"Yeah, it was taken the day she learned she was pregnant. Dom gave it to me as a gift." Scarlett answers, her voice quieter than usual.

Another picture beside the framed picture of Diana is one of Dom with Diana sitting on his lap at the table. Both smiling, Dom is reaching forward for something. Both appear to be clearly in love. Noticing Robbie studying the picture, Scarlett quietly walks up beside him, looking at the framed memory of her parents, the few picture containing the two together.

"That was taken the day Dom proposed. It was a Sunday, after church. They were having a barbeque like they always do. He proposed to Diana while she sat in his lap." Scarlett elaborates, seeing Robbie's green eyes darken. "After that she left. She gave birth to me after leaving L.A."

Turning towards the petite girl beside him, Robbie sees clearly her tough exterior fading in the warm light of her room. Feeling his emotions rising, Robbie turns to face the girl, seeing tears swell in the back of her eyes. Resting both of his hands on the side of her face, the British boy forces the fighter to look at him, seeing her close her eyes, letting a tear fall.

"Look at me, love." The Brit commands in an authoritative voice.

Opening her eyes slowly, Scarlett meets the green eyes of the pale boy she's come to care for, unsure why her feelings towards him continue to grow when she hardly knows him. Remaining quiet, the two continue to stare at each other, neither wanting to look away or break eye contact.

"I will never leave you." Robbie says in a quiet voice, his face inching closer to the street fighter's.

"How can I trust you?" Scarlett asks, her walls clearly back up.

"I'll prove it to you." Robbie replies, quieting her response with a kiss to her lips, making her eyes flutter shut.

Pulling away, the green eye boy watches as the street fighter's body relaxes. The brunette can feel the stress of the day leave her body after the gentle kiss. Opening her eyes at the light hair boy, the fighter smiles a genuine, warm smile that lights up her entire face and makes her eyes dance. Standing on her tiptoes, the brunette locks her lips with the Brit's, feeling him adjust their positions so there is no room between them. His hands gently run up her sides, causing her to shiver, one hand resting on her hip, the other running up to release the hair band keeping her dark chocolate locks out of her face. Continuing to learn his mouth, Scarlett rests one hand on his chest, and tangles the other in his hair, loving the way the silky locks feel between her fingers. Not breaking the kiss, Robbie walks forward, forcing the dark brunette to walk backwards towards her bed, back of her knees hitting the mattress causing her to fall back, Robbie following her. Giggling at the action, Scarlett detaches their lips, looking at Robbie's young face with her dancing dark eyes.

"We should get some sleep." Scarlett says, her voice husky from their make-out.

"I agree." Robbie replies, kissing the brunette's forehead before maneuvering them under the covers. The last thing the street fighter feels before sleep overcomes her is Robbie sliding his arm around her stomach, pulling her towards his chest, and planting another light kiss behind her ear.

* * *

The following months pass by in a blur. After missing a good three weeks of school, Scarlett is forced to attend after-school classes and double up on homework while taking double shifts at the shop. Since the departure of Dom, Brian, and the remaining members of her family, excluding Mia, the two Gambino women have had their hands full taking care of the shop and mini convenient store they run with it. With Chase, Russ, and Robbie helping on the weekends and any free chance they can after school, Scarlett finds keeping her family afloat to be harder than it looks.

Since the Christmas holiday, Katy's grandmother Marly has turned for the worse. Recently placed into Hospice, the family is stricken with grief as her cancer worsens. Since the New York Invasion Esther, Chloe, Katy, and Audrey have all been able to transform, completing their training and fulfilling Marly's wish of training them as guardians. With their training complete, their powers mostly in control, and the Tesseract safely returned to the Forbidden City, Marly dies, knowing she has fulfilled her duties and left the Earth in good hands.

With sixth more months until summer break, neither Scarlett nor Mia has heard a word from Dom or Brian. Keeping in close contact with Gisele, the girls have learned that Dom and Brian have been successful in earning a spot in racing with Braga and his crew. Running drugs into the country through the mountains boarding the California-Mexico border, the two have learned that both have made the crew list, and Brian's been reinstated in the FBI, assigned with bringing Braga to justice.

* * *

"Hey Mia where would you like the new stock?" Peter asks the L.A. native.

"Just put them in Dom's office and I'll deal with them later." Mia orders, continuing to type on the computer in front of her at the cash register.

"Excuse me, would you happen to know where I can find a Miss Scarlett Gambino?" A male voice asks.

Turning her head upwards, Mia looks into the face of a tan male with his black hair buzzed. Bright blue eyes stand out against his tan skin; white teeth sparkle underneath the light layers of black hair of his mustache. He's around 6", the same height as Dom, and he's wearing a military uniform with the name "Giovanni" embroidered on the name patch. The man appears to be in his early twenties.

"Why do you want to know her location?" Robbie's voice says in a defensive tone behind Mia, arms crossed his chest and his green eyes darkening at the sight of the male.

"None of your damn business boy." The dark hair male snaps, his eyes glaring at Robbie.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Scarlett's husky voice asks, grease staining her cheeks, and her blue unbuttoned work shirt open, revealing her dirty white tank top.

"Princess?" The man exclaims, making the brunette eyes lock on his form, her eyes widening in surprise before she runs into the man's open arms, jumping up and allowing him to spin her around.

"Joey!" The petite fighter exclaims, tears of joy in her eyes as she stares up at her brother, seeing his face light up in happiness.

"Joey!" Two boys' voices yell, tackling the embraced couple with their small bodies, causing the soldier to fall back from the impact.

"Chase! Russ! You two have grown!" Joey says in a shock tone, looking at the two freckled boys, inspecting their aging faces.

"Why did you fake your death?" Scarlett says, pulling away from the Italian's warm arms to sit on her heels, looking at Joey with building anger.

"I didn't want to, but I had too. I was in some deep shit with the wrong people and I needed to get out. It was the only way to keep you safe." Joey says, pushing the two boys off him, before standing up, lifting the small fighter up, despite her protests.

"Keep me safe? Why does everyone think I need protecting?" Scarlett snaps at the unprepared male, seeing his face contort in confusion and hurt.

"Because we love you! We don't want anything to happen to you! If anything happens to you I'd be devastated." Joey snaps back, anger growing in his blue eyes.

"What suddenly I'm so important to you that you had to fake your own death?" Scarlett says sarcastically, her anger growing more. "You turned into an asshole once you turned seventeen!"

"I know! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Joey cries out in frustration, hurt clear on his face at the memory.

"What's worse is the one time I needed you. I _needed_ you, you weren't there!" The street fighter screams at Joey, angry tears growing in her eyes, but refusing to fall.

"I know I'm sorry! If I could change that I would! I'm so sorry! You have no idea how much that killed me!" The raven-haired male yells in hurt.

"Be sorry all you want, but it doesn't change what happened!" Scarlett yells at him, ready to punch him in the jaw.

Sensing her growing urges for violence, Joey quickly pulls the enraged street fighter in a warm embrace, burying her head in his shoulder, gently stroking her hair and whispering comforting words to her. "Star, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I fucked up. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Joey whispers into her dark tresses, kissing the top of her head before beginning to slowly move them back and forth to a song in his head.

Finally releasing the tears building since her brother's arrival, Scarlett just sobs into his uniform, not caring if it ruins the camouflaged fabric. Memories of dark nights in Detroit, nothing but candles illuminating the dark bedroom the four children shared in the dank basement of their foster family's house returned to her. Feeling the same fear and hatred she's had for the family since the day she met them, Scarlett can't help but shake in the arms of her brother, feeling him tighten his grip on her and continuing to whisper words of comfort. Slowly and quietly at first, Joey begins to hum. Turning the mumbled tune into words, Scarlett listens as the tough street kid sings a gentle lullaby to his sister.

"_Edelweiss, Edelweiss every morning you greet me. Small and white clean and bright you look happy to meet me. Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow, bloom and grow forever. Edelweiss, Edelweiss bless my homeland forever. Edelweiss, Edelweiss every morning you greet me. Small and white clean and bright you look happy to meet me. Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow, bloom and grow forever. Edelweiss, Edelweiss bless my homeland forever._" The rough voice of the soldier sings to the crying brunette, feeling her relax in his arms as he sings the song. "I'm so sorry Scarlett. I'm so sorry."

Lifting her head up slightly, Scarlett locks eyes with the teary blue eyes of the lieutenant, seeing the tear streaks on his cheeks glisten in the harsh light. "I know. You're forgiven. I'm sorry too." The fighter says quietly, feeling Joey's tense body relax at her words. Continuing to hold the small form of his sister, Joey looks up at Chase and Russ, opening one arm to allow them to enter the embrace.

Running forward, the two squeeze themselves in the Italian's arm, Scarlett moving her arm to bring the two closer to her. Standing in the middle of the store, the four wrapped in a warm embrace, Scarlett finally feels at peace. No more worrying about the store, the shop, or money. She has her brother back, all of them. Dom, Brian, and the others will return soon then they can leave Diamond City in the rearview, and return home to Los Angeles.

Clearing his throat, Robbie stands next to Mia, his arms crossed and a dark look on his handsome face. Looking at her boyfriend of two months, Scarlett can sense the anger emitting from his 5'9 lanky frame. Although not physically threatening, Robbie can pack a punch if he feels threatened or if someone threatens the brunette beauty he's claimed as his. Leaving the warm group's embrace, Scarlett stands before the British teen, standing on her tiptoes to peck a light kiss to his lips. Reacting instantly, the light brunette wraps one arm tightly around the fighter's waist, and the other one holds the back of her head, forcing their lips back together as he claims her mouth with his. Accepting Robbie's dominate and possessive behavior as his vent for his frustrations, Scarlett wraps her arms around his neck, kissing back equally as forcefully. Pulling away to breathe oxygen, the dark brunette rests her head on Robbie's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Robbie this is my older brother Joey. Joey this is my boyfriend Robbie." Scarlett says in a breathless voice, looking through her dark lashes towards her brother, seeing his fists balled at his sides.

"Nice to meet you." Joey growls out through gritted teeth, clearly not liking the idea of his sister dating.

"Pleasure." Robbie replies, equally upset and keeping a firmer hold on Scarlett's waist, clearly pissing off her brother.

"Enough you two. How 'bout some dinner? It's late enough." Scarlett says in a firm voice, silencing the two men's bickering temporarily.

"I agree. I'll start up on some food." Mia says, grabbing her keys and purse and heading towards her car parked behind the building.

"I'll lock up." Scarlett calls to her aunt, motioning for Chase and Russ to follow Mia.

Obeying their sister's unsaid command, the two follow after Mia, scrambling for the front seat. Alone with the two males, Scarlett sighs, leaving Robbie's warm arms to go inside the garage, making sure to put away the tools and lower the door, securing the building before returning to the store, locking it's main door and turning on the security system. Grabbing the keys to her own car, the fighter clears her throat, breaking the glares that Robbie and Joey are sending each other.

"C'mon boys, or neither of you will eat." She says, tired of their silent feud already.

"Coming love." Robbie says, smirking at Joey before placing a possessive hand at the small of her back, walking with her through the back hall towards the car. Joey follows behind the couple, brooding silently that Robbie has won the first round of their fight.

* * *

The entire ride from the shop to the house was tense. No one saying anything, Scarlett just turns the radio on, allowing the music to carry through the car and fill the silence. At the house, it's not much better. Having to shower from her day, Scarlett warns Chase and Russ not to provoke the two males, knowing the boys would love to see their brother and their 'leader', as they referred to Robbie, fight. Showering quickly, and changing to a pair of athletic shorts and one of Robbie's sweatshirts, Scarlett returns to the kitchen, watching as Robbie assists Mia in his usual chores, while Chase and Russ help with the cooking and serving of water. Joey sits quietly at the table, looking down at the silverware, clearly unsure what to do in the situation.

"Need help with anything else Mia?" Scarlett asks, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"No, everything's done. Go sit at the table sweetie." Mia replies, turning off the stove and beginning to scoop the food onto the plates, letting Russ deliver them to the table.

Sitting down opposite of Joey, Scarlett kicks his shin lightly, getting his attention. "I made the guest room all up for you. There's clean towels in the closest."

"Thanks, I appreciate it, Star." Joey replies, giving her a small smile.

Returning the smile, Scarlett feels Robbie slide on the bench beside her, wrapping a possessive arm around her waist and pulling her closer. "How was school today, darling?"

"It was fine. I didn't see you hardly at all, where were you?" Scarlett answers, looking at him with worry.

"Don't worry love, I was there. I saw you, but I know your friends aren't too fond of me so I didn't say anything." Robbie replies, pecking her cheek lightly and playing with the hem of her sweatshirt, well his sweatshirt.

"Her friends don't approve of you? Shocker." Joey says under his breath, making the two look at him, Scarlett disapprovingly and Robbie with malice.

"At least I know her friends. Where have you been the last few months?" The Brit snaps, clearly angered by Joey's words.

His face growing dark, Joey glares at the lanky boy. "Fuck you."

"Joey!" Scarlett growls at him, her face daring him to utter another curse word in her presence.

"Sorry Star." Joey mumbles, not liking the idea of his younger sister scolding him in front of her obnoxious boyfriend.

"Can we please have a quiet dinner with no fighting?" The brunette says towards the two men, seeing their glares of hatred for one another.

"I can be civil, I don't know about your brother though." Robbie says in a calm voice, an evil smile spreading on his features as Joey's glare darkens.

"You can be civil? Hell must have frozen over." The Italian-Austrian mix retorts, making Robbie's smile fade.

"Enough. Both of you knock it off." Scarlett growls, looking from her boyfriend to her brother with a warning look, both knowing pissing her off further would end badly for both.

The rest of dinner is mild, small chitchat between the group except for the two brooding males, both continuing to glare at each other from across the table. After dinner Robbie and Joey are forced to do the clean up by themselves, allowing Scarlett, Mia, Chase, and Russ to go relax as they please. Finding herself in her room, Scarlett closes her door, grabbing her headphones and begins to listen to her iPod, laying back on her bed eyes closed. A sudden loud crash, heard through the entire house, followed by a few more yells, as the brunette rushing through her door and down the stairs. Entering the kitchen, Scarlett watches as Robbie and Joey begin to fight, Joey punching Robbie in the gut, but the Brit sending his fist to collide with the blue eye boy's face.

"Stop!" Scarlett yells, rushing towards the fighting males, seeing Chase and Russ's scared face hiding behind an upset Mia.

Not hearing the fighter's voice or both choosing to ignore it, the two continue their fight, Robbie backing Joey in the wall and sending a good blow to his ribs. Joey retaliates by kicking Robbie in his ribs, sending the boy back towards the floor. Seeing her chance at intervening, Scarlett rushes between the two, sending her small fist to deck Joey across the face, knocking him unconscious.

"Love." Robbie says, surprised by her action.

Turning towards her boyfriend, Scarlett decks him across the face, knocking him unconscious as well.

* * *

**Happy New Year! And a (very) belated Merry Christmas! Thanks to all the readers, viewers, and supporters of this story! I feel so blessed! Anyways so Scarlett's "dead" brother is alive! I know it's weird, but the explanation is coming soon! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Feedback always welcomed! **


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